Veronica
by ChelleyBean
Summary: The Mission: Go to the planet, meet up with the Tok'ra operative, bring him home for debriefing. Of course something went wrong, and a split second decision leaves one Marine with permanent consequences.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1. Wouldn't it be cool if I did, though? Seriously, that'd be a blast!_

_Author's Note: Yes, I've seen all 10 seasons of SG-1, and the movie from which it was spun and the movies they gave us afterwards. No, I'm not following cannon to the letter. Any gripes about things not being exactly as they were or in the same sequence of the show will be printed off and used to toast marshmallows._

~***~

They stopped running once they could no longer hear the Jaffa behind them. Ronnie bent her legs slightly to allow her burden to be gently lowered to the ground, "I think we've lost them for now."

"_Only for a short time."_

"Hopefully long enough to catch our breath." The Tok'ra was pale. Disturbingly so. He was taking shallow breaths while pressing one hand against his side. She suspected there was a rib fracture or two. "Are you gonna be able to recover?"

"_Doubtful. There is much damage. To both of us,"_ The man swallowed, _"You must get back to the Tau'ri. You must tell them what we know."_

Ronnie's eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign that the Jaffa were catching up, "Okay. What do you know?"

"_Ba'al is planning a summit among the system lords. All of them and not just the stronger ones. They…"_ He stopped, his breathing stopped briefly from pain.

"Lineare?" No response. Ronnie edged closer while remaining in a low crouch, reaching out to touch one of the few blood-free spots on his trousers. "Lineare!" Her voice was a harsh whisper, but she was rewarded by a pair of green eyes snapping open.

"He is trying to heal an aneurysm. We need more time to tell you everything." Lineare's host was Matthew. It was an oddly Terran name for a Tok'ra host, but considering that most humans in the galaxy originated from Earth, it wasn't entirely outside of the realm of possibility.

"How bad is it?"

Matthew forced a weak smile, "Bad."

She took a breath and nodded, "I'm sorry we didn't do so great getting you out of here."

"We are sorry that you lost the rest of your team. They were good and brave men."

She would not cry. She was a Marine and currently charged with trying to get Lineare back to command so that the intel he had gathered on Ba'al could be put to good use. "They were the best."

For a time there was no sound other than Matthew's labored breathing and the twitter of birds in the trees above. The Jaffa still hadn't caught up.

Matthew took another sharp breath. Ronnie looked over quickly, but control didn't appear to be switched back to Lineare. "Would pain killers work? I have some lighter stuff in the emergency med kit."

"No. It would not affect us," he swallowed, "You need to tell the others what you can. What you can remember. Hopefully it will be enough."

"But my memory isn't going to be nearly as good as yours."

Handsome lips twisted upwards to one side, "Not your fault. You're only human."

It was supposed to have been a relatively simple mission. Come to P6X-723 and meet up with Lineare to escort him back to Stargate Command. He'd gotten word out that he had come across something important involving Ba'al. Surprising, considering he had infiltrated the court of a minor Goa'uld of little import. He needed to be there in person for a full report and had gotten away. Only he hadn't counted on a small group of Jaffa being dispatched to follow him.

SG-5 had been sent to get him. They had met the Jaffa head on and gotten rid of all but two of them, though it had been at the cost of the other four marines. And soon they could add Lineare and Matthew to the list of the fallen. That still left two Jaffa between her and the Stargate.

And it still left the problem of getting the intel back home.

Ronnie swallowed. It was a radical idea. One that was going to piss off the higher ups. "Does he have enough in him to leave?"

Matthew's eyes opened to look at her questioningly, "Leave?"

She nodded. "Lineare. You said he's injured, too. I'm not. Is he strong enough to… to change hosts?" It sounded even worse spoken aloud.

The Tok'ra was silent for a time, swallowing before speaking, "You offer yourself?"

In for a penny. "I don't see where we really have a choice in the matter. We need to get that intel back to base, but I seem to be the only one still strong enough to have a chance." She would not cry. She would not stop to grieve for the four good mean now lying dead in the underbrush of the forest. "You've both admitted that you won't survive in your current situation. If he… he if blends with me, will he be able to make it?"

Matthew considered the question. "He has a better chance. Right now he's trying to keep both of us holding on. You won't need him to heal you, so he'll be able to care for his own needs. It could work."

Were she to be honest with herself, she was rather hoping that it wasn't a good idea. Instead, she nodded. "All right. Okay," she swallowed, "So… can he?"

Matthew nodded weakly, "He can. And he thinks you are very brave. We know how distasteful the idea of blending is to your people. We appreciate your sacrifice."

"Yeah, well… I'm still sorry we screwed this up so badly."

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

Nice of him to think so. "Uhm… does it hurt?"

"It stings a bit, but the discomfort passes quickly."

"Good. I hate pain," A joke. A weak one. She knew how to work through pain. It was part of the job, "So… how does this work?"

He smiled, a bit wider this time, "I get to kiss you."

That was unexpected. "No, seriously."

"I am being serious. The Tok'ra do not attack their hosts from behind. Besides, it's a nice way to die."

"You used to flirt a lot before you were a Tok'ra, didn't you?" The answering grin was laced with pain, "I don't kiss a lot of people."

"Pity. You're a very beautiful woman," Matthew swallowed, "We understand if you cannot…"

"No… I can. I will," She licked her lips as she gave one last listen. Still no sounds to alert them to the presence of the Jaffa. Taking one last breath as a human, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Matthew's. The Tok'ra's mouth parted beneath her own and at first it could have just been a bittersweet kiss between two friends.

Then something changed. Something large and fast slithered between them, exiting Matthew's mouth and piercing the back of Ronnie's throat with a sharp, stinging pain. Reflex made her pull back sharply, but the symbiote already had a good start. She saw the briefest flash of a black tail, whipping wildly like the tail of a tadpole, before it vanished inside her mouth. The slender creature twisted itself inside her neck, turning this way and that until it came to a rest around her spine. The pain started to subside as a disconnected voice whispered in her mind. _**Thank you.**_

The taste of copper and salt was thick in her mouth. Blood from the new laceration in the back of her throat. Probably some of Matthew's blood as well. She spat it out onto the ground as a death rattle sounded from the man next to her. She looked at him and felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. As much as she regretted Matthew's death, just as she regretted that of her team, Lineare truly mourned the loss of his companion. She had not realized those feelings would be within her as well.

She needed to move. Lineare was quiet inside her mind and instincts told her that it was because he had to see to his own physical repair. It was her job to get them home alive. Sparing only enough time to close Matthew's lids over his eyes she picked up her weapon and moved on.

She circled around, keeping low in the underbrush. The two remaining Jaffa were still between her… them… and the gate. She found a large fallen tree and lay down behind it, allowing the branches of other trees and ferns to camouflage her. She couldn't quite make out their faces but she was able to make out their general build. They weren't much farther than the mid-level shooting range targets.

Patience. She needed to take her time.

Her finger inched out quietly and flicked the little switch on the side of her weapon, moving it from fully automatic to semi. Only one round for each squeeze of the trigger, but it would grant her better control.

She watched and waited. The Jaffa were searching the tree line the opposite side of the clearing. She had to wait until one of them turned around. She needed to see the part of the head no covered by the usual skullcap.

As though reading her mind, one of them did.

_Breathe._

_Release._

_Aim._

_Squeeze._

The single rapport cracked the silence of the clearing. The Jaffa's head snapped back in reflex as he fell. His companion wasn't paused by the incident nearly as long as she would have liked. He came running in her general direction, staff weapon at the ready. Ronnie flattened herself out beside the fallen tree, listening to his footsteps approach and waiting for the right moment.

The Jaffa slowed his approach as he reached the tree line. Veronica didn't move a muscle. She was tense, wound more tightly than a piano wire. If she were to have one spark of good luck today, he would try to cross the fallen tree right above her. All she needed was just one thing to go her way. The Fates owed her after everything else that had gone wrong.

Apparently they agreed, because the metal toe of a Jaffa's heavy boot appeared over the thick trunk just a bit south of her heart. She waited until the other foot came over before she struck upwards with the butt of her weapon at the spot where she was fairly certain Jaffa males were just as vulnerable as human ones. She heard his gasp of pain just before he crumpled and fell over.

Like a flash she was up onto her knees and driving the butt of her weapon into his face. Once. Twice. Thrice. He was dazed enough she could grab the zat at his waist and stand up before firing two shots in quick succession.

And she was safe. For the most part.

Ronnie gave a few deep breaths, trying to will her heart to slow down. So far she wasn't finding any physical benefits to having a snake in her head, though that was probably due in part to the snake in question having had the snot beaten out of it. Finding herself surrounded again in nothing but silence punctuated by the occasional bird, she stepped over the fallen tree and broke from the tree line.

She moved at a brisk pace, her eyes scanning around her continuously. She was fairly certain that all the Jaffa were accounted for, but that didn't mean that another group hadn't landed sometime later to shore up their numbers. She wouldn't relax until she was on the other side of the gate. With that in mind, she punched the address into the DHD and waited for the wormhole's event horizon to stabilize before pulling her GDO from the cargo pocket of her BDUs and sending her code. She gave it the requisite amount of seconds before she walked through.

The freezing cold as she was reassembled on the other end was to be expected. She gave a deep sigh as she took in the familiar security personnel, their P-90s all trained in her direction until Hammond gave the order to stand down. She heard the rushing sound as the gate disconnected behind her as the general came down from the control room.

"Lieutenant, where is the rest of SG-5?"

She closed her eyes in pain, "Gone, Sir. We were set upon by a group of Jaffa shortly after we made contact with the Tok'ra. Their… their bodies are about two miles in a direct line from the gate. Matthew should be about two to three miles west of them."

Hammond frowned. "Matthew? Who is Matthew?"

"The Tok'ra host, Sir."

"Just the host?" He looked confused, "What about Lineare?"

She took a breath, not coming any closer than halfway down the ramp. "He's here, Sir. With me."

~***~

Veronica opened her eyes and looked about the room. It was one of the few 'private' rooms on the base connected with the infirmary. Only she wasn't alone, "Dr. MacKenzie."

The psychiatrist looked up from what was probably her file and gave her a concerned frown. In spite of what some of the others thought about MacKenzie, he wasn't all bad. "How are you doing, Lieutenant?"

"Oh, let's see," She swallowed and pretended to be thinking, "My entire team is dead… and… oh yeah… I got a comatose snake in my brain." She let her head fall back against the pillow, "I'm in for extra couch time, aren't I." It wasn't a question.

"Most likely, but I was asking how you are doing, Veronica."

Yeah, she figured that, "I keep wondering if I did enough. If somehow I wasn't Marine enough. I mean, the rest of the team is dead and I got out without more than a few bruises."

"Well, that and a comatose snake," MacKenzie got up from the chair and walked over towards her, stopping at her bedside, "I'd recommend at least a mild anti-depressant, but I doubt it would have much effect on you. Still nothing from the symbiote, I take it."

She shook her head, "Not a peep." Her head tilted up to the monitors next to her bedside. She'd gotten used to understanding them over the past couple of days. "Still kicking, though. See that?" She pointed to one of the monitors, "The bottom line is my heart. The top one is Lineare's. And the box to the left of that monitors brainwaves. Again, me on bottom and the hitchhiker on top." She looked back to MacKenzie, "But… you probably knew that all ready."

"I've seen my fair share of hospital equipment, yes," he looked at her appraisingly, "You're getting bored."

"I passed bored two days ago," She levered herself up into a sitting position, "I'm physically fine, but Doctor Fraiser says I can't go anywhere until Lineare wakes up. I'm seriously to the point that I'd be happy to do paperwork, I'm so bored."

"Yes, well, you're life is going to get a little extra excitement today."

"I heard. The Tok'ra are coming to visit, only we have nothing to give them because, again," she pointed to her head, "he's still out cold."

"True, but they're still coming," he tapped her file against the palm of her hand, "I just came by to see how you're doing. I was here already for my usual visit. And I also wanted to tell you that I've had to move your usual appointment to this Friday instead of Thursday. General Hammond doesn't want you leaving the base to come to the hospital so we'll be having your session here."

"Got it. I'll see you, then," she glanced at the clock as the door to her room opened to let one of the techs from the infirmary in, "And now it's time for me to get all gussied up to meet our company."

"I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you on Friday."

"I'll clear my calendar," She gave him a weak smile as the tech helped her to start removing the lead wires connecting her and the symbiote to the monitors. She would have enough time to get a proper shower and put on some real clothes. Just a uniform, but miles ahead of the hospital gown she'd been stuck in since the General had ordered her to the infirmary upon her arrival.

The short interval of activity left her tired. This was concerning, but no unexpected. Since her return she had been tired most of the time. She might be bored, but she didn't seem to have the energy to do much. And when she wasn't sleeping, she was eating. Her appetite seemed endless.

Wasn't having a snake in her head supposed to make her better? Stronger? Faster?

Maybe she should ask for a refund.

She was in the middle of a yawn when Dr. Fraiser arrived to walk with her to the debriefing room. "Are you up for this?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. Sorry," For good measure the doctor did a quick check of her vitals, "Still fatigued?"

"Perpetually. And still starving."

"Well, the second I can do something about," Fraiser reached into one of the pockets of her lab coat and pulled out an energy bar. Ronnie took it with a grateful sigh and tore it open, munching down on it as the two guards walked with them in through the corridors.

"You are a lifesaver. I'm gonna be so fat and lazy when I finally get this guy out of my head."

Fraiser gave a laugh, "Well, not for too long. You'll be on a stringent rehabilitation regime along with your sessions with Dr. MacKenzie."

"Sounds like fun," They stopped at the foot of the spiral steps that led up to the conference room, "Who'd they send?"

"Jacob Carter and Malek."

Ronnie gave a sigh, "All right. Let's get this over with." With a grim sort of resolve, she began to ascend the steps.

SG-1 was there, along with General Hammond and Major Reynolds. And, of course, there were the Tok'ra. Both Malek and Jacob Carter looked her way expectantly as she entered the room with Dr. Fraiser. Ronnie shoved down the trepidation she was feeling to snap to attention, "Reporting as ordered, Sir."

"At ease, Lieutenant," Hammond motioned to one of the chairs at the end of the table, one that put her opposite the Tok'ra. "Have a seat. This is Malek and Selmak of the Tok'ra. They have arrived to check on your progress and to give us some updates."

Ronnie nodded in a quiet greeting to the two Tok'ra on the other side of the table, telling herself to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach. She was in the SGC. There was no need for her to be nervous. Right?

~***~

Malek studied the Tau'ri officer across the table from him. He had expected her to be physically healthy because she was a soldier. The height did not surprise him either. What he had not expected was the clear indication of shyness coming from her. The soldiers of Earth he had met in the past usually exuded confidence and bravado. The young woman before him, for all her height and physical fitness, did not feel as though she belonged with this rough group.

Selmak turned his chair slightly so that he was facing more in Lieutenant Marks' direction. _"Allow me to offer the sincerest thanks of the Tok'ra, Lieutenant. We understand how distasteful the blending is to most of the SGC and know full well the personal sacrifice you made in offering Lineare this option to live."_

The woman gave a weak smile, "No problem."

"Let's hope it's a temporary fix." That was Colonel O'Neill. The man was an honorable warrior and had helped them in great ways, but he still grated on Malek's nerves.

"_We will search for a suitable host, of course. However nothing can be done until such time as Lineare awakens and is well enough for the transition,"_ Malek looked back to the woman across from him, _"He still has not spoken to you?"_

She shook her head, "Nothing. But we know he's still alive." Her hand gestured towards the physician at her side. "Doctor Fraiser has us hooked up to monitors most of the time and he's still reading."

Fraiser opened up the folder in her hands and glanced down. "When the Lieutenant returned through the stargate Lineare's life signs were very faint. Almost non-existent. Had they waited even a minute longer, I doubt he would have survived. After a day his signs became stable. Since then they have gotten stronger but he has not shown any signs of regaining consciousness," she closed the folder, "What we have noted is that Lieutenant Marks seems to often be extremely fatigued and hungry. Her symptoms are much like that of a woman in early pregnancy. It's as though her body requires a significant increase in caloric intake and rest."

Dr. Jackson decided to enter the conversation before Malek could ask the obvious question. "Are you pregnant?"

Marks seemed to… flinch? Dr. Fraiser interceded, "That has already been ruled out, Dr. Jackson."

"Well, I only ask because we know that if the host is pregnant then if the symbiote asserts itself it can cause a miscarriage. Being a Tok'ra, Lineare might be keeping quiet to prevent that."

Malek saw Marks' hand clench into a fist, seemingly of its own accord, as Fraiser again asserted that it was not possible that the host was pregnant. The conversation seemed to upset Marks in some way.

Hammond resumed control of the conversation again, "You said that you were able to look into the mention Marks made about Ba'al holding a summit."

Selmak nodded, _"We were. And he had planned to hold a summit to discuss the 'Tau'ri Problem', which was to include not only the higher ranking system lords but also several of the minor Goa'ulds."_

"Had planned?"

Selmak nodded, _"Unfortunately the summit has been put on an indefinite hold due to several combative altercations which have broken out between some of the scheduled attendees, including an attack by two others against Ba'al."_

Lieutenant Marks frowned. "You mean Lineare blew his cover and got royally stomped for nothing?"

"_Such is the way when dealing with the Goa'uld. Their lust for power and general mental instability makes it nearly impossible for them to cooperate with each other for any extended length of time. An 'indefinite' hold means the summit may never happen or, if it does, it will be some time from now and likely with a far different list of invitees."_

The Tau'ri were clearly not pleased. Colonel O'Neill growled, "Well that was a colossal waste. We lost a whole team!" Malek frowned at the terminology and gave a quick glance back to Lieutenant Marks. Apparently as long as she was blended with a symbiote, she was considered as lost as the men who had fallen. And from the expression on the woman's face, she was well aware of the sentiment.

Hammond's shoulders appeared weighted under the stress of so much bad news, "I share your feelings, Colonel, but we all know that there is great and mortal risk involved in our jobs. The Marines we lost went into this with both eyes open," The general leaned forward, arms resting on the table, "What are the Tok'ra plans at this time?"

Selmak gave control over to Jacob to answer, "Selmak and I have an assignment to carry out, otherwise we'd be asking to use one of your visitor suites. As it is, we ask that you extend your hospitality to Malek so that one of us is here when Lineare finally comes around. There may still be intel he gathered which can be of some use to us."

Hammond gave a nod, "I see no problem with that. Of course you will be asked to remain confined here to base unless escorted by SGC personnel. Not that we don't trust you, but we need to maintain the secrecy of the Stargate Program."

Malek gave a nod, _"We understand. And we thank you for your hospitality."_ He looked back towards Lineare's new, and likely temporary, host. She didn't meet his gaze, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere.

**She's very beautiful, but she also seems very sad**. He agreed with his host. There was something troubling the young Tau'ri who had so selflessly given their brother safe haven within herself. Something he suspected had nothing to do with any discomfort she felt regarding the blending itself.

~***~

Though the General had accepted them as guests, Malek was well aware that their presence did not sit well with the members of the SGC. There was a part of him that was insulted, but for the most part he could understand. Until they met the Tok'ra, Earth's only knowledge of their race came from the Goa'uld. The galaxy was populated with the descendants of people stolen from this world. The crimes committed against humanity by the system lords were probably second only to the crimes they had committed against the Jaffa. It was difficult to think of anything worse than engineering the genetic predisposition towards complete immune system failure in order to force absolute dependence.

Still, there was a heavy feeling of isolation as he passed through the corridors in the areas where he was allowed without escort. Much of the SGC was still considered 'off limits', but he was allowed to visit Lieutenant Marks. He gave a polite nod to the guard outside of her room before knocking. He heard her voice call out and let himself in.

She was in the narrow hospital bed they had provided to her, the leads to the medical equipment monitoring both her and Lieneare still attached to her forehead and chest. Her eyes flicked over and she lowered the remote in her hand. A television mounted in one corner of the room droned on, "Hey. Haven't seen you since… six hours ago."

He had been here to see her this morning, _"I apologize. It is not my intention to make a nuisance of myself."_

She waved off his concern, "You're not. I could use the distraction. I've slept all I can and it appears I give everyone else on base the wiggins."

He frowned, _"Wiggins?"_

"I make them nervous," she waved him in further, "Come on. I don't bite. I was just catching up on the mid-terms."

Malek drifted towards the one serviceable chair provided in the room, his eyes moving to the television, _"What are the mid-terms?"_

"Political races that hit half-way through a Presidential term. The elections were yesterday. I wanted to see who pulled off Texas."

A familiar name came up on the screen beneath a handsome man with graying hair, _"Marks?"_

She sighed, "Yeah. A.K.A. 'Dad'."

"_So… you are a person of consequence."_ That meant that they would need to find a replacement host quickly. The Tau'ri would not want the potential exposure. To his confusion, however, she shook her head.

"Not me. Just them." She turned up the volume and he heard the voice over talking about the smiling man waving to the crowd of well-wishers. By his side were a well-dressed female of roughly the same age and two children in their early teens but with few physical traits in common. The disembodied voice went on to say that the new senator was joined at the celebratory party with his wife and their two adopted children. No further mention of the family was made.

"_They omit you because you were not there?"_

"No, they omit me because I'm rarely mentioned," she turned off the set, "I came up a few times during the race whenever his handlers wanted to play up on the 'child in the military' angle, but otherwise I don't matter," she shrugged, "It's complicated."

"_Because of the secret nature of the stargate program, then."_

"No, that would be infinitely less complicated," she shook her head, "It's no big deal. I'm used to it."

Something in her voice encouraged him to drop the subject, _"You said that you had slept all you could?" _She nodded.

"I'm feeling more energy, and I'm losing the urge to eat half my bodyweight every day. I'm hoping that's a good sign. The other option is that the food from the mess is so bad that I can't even choke it down for Lineare's sake."

"_Mmm…"_ Malek decided to stay on relatively safe ground, _"Were he able to comment, I think he would thank you. It isn't 'bad', but it tends to be rather bland."_

"Yeah. Government food safety guidelines. They want to avoid as many food allergies as possible, so they avoid using things that commonly set them off. We can't even get real peanuts in what they try to pass off as Kung Pow Chicken," she gave another shrug, "Pretty much all the mess has going for it is the Jell-O and the fact that they use real potatoes instead of instant."

He failed to see the significance, but didn't want to stop the conversation, _"I am curious; why join your world's military? I've noticed that the male to female ratio is far from balanced. What made you decide to pursue the life of a soldier?"_

"Goes back to the parents. My options were pretty much let them pay my way through college or find a way to pay for it myself, and at the time we were in the early stages of our falling out. I opted to go through the ROTC and work for the rest." She pulled her legs up under the hospital blanket, putting her feet together so that her legs butterflied out. Her knees bounced as she held her feet with her hands. "I majored in math with a minor in computer science, so telling people who know me that I've been assigned to NORAD is somewhat believable. And after I got out of college and into the real Marine Corps, I found that I really liked it. Being picked for the SGC, especially after they told me what I'd be doing, was like a dream come true. I hadn't even known I'd had that dream until it was offered."

"_There's a great deal of risk involved in your job."_

Sorrow flashed over her face again, "Yeah, there is. We've lost a lot of good men since the SGC was started. Our enemy is more advanced and pure evil, but we've got an advantage."

Malek frowned, _"What's that?"_

"Humans are the most tenacious species you're likely to find. You might trample over us and knock us down for a while, but if you want to beat us for good then you'd better wipe out every last one of us. Leave anyone behind, and it will come back to bite you in the ass."

He considered this and found that he could not argue with it. As a species they were remarkably resilient, if not simply hard headed. There was a definite note of pride in Veronica's voice as she spoke of her people. It spoke of an intense loyalty that, coupled with the bravery and quick wittedness he already knew her to possess, made for a woman who was shaping up to be more and more impressive the more that he discovered of her.

He was about to ask her more about herself when the door opened up. Dr. Fraiser took note of his seat near the bed but said nothing about it before walking over to check the monitors, "Time for your six hour check, Lieutenant."

"Yippee," her voice was flat, almost bored. It had to be wearing on her nerves, all this time in isolation with the medical staff always watching, "What's for lunch today?"

"Pot roast. Feeling hungry?" Fraiser took hold of her wrist to check her pulse.

"Not really, just curious. I don't suppose I could talk you into getting takeout. Something with a little more taste, like a double cheeseburger?"

Fraiser smiled, "Not on your prescribed diet, Lieutenant."

"Aww, come on. Just one little cheeseburger. I'm not exactly a candidate for a heart attack."

The doctor released her wrist and started to record the number in her chart, "My advice would be to hit up someone who'd be coming on base from the outside." Fraiser gave her a look that seemed to communicate more, as though there was a specific person in mind. The must have been because Veronica's lips turned up in a smile.

Malek rose from the chair, _"How does everything look?"_

Fraiser's eyes remained on the chart, "Both their vitals are strong and are within what we know to be normal for a cooperative blended entity." She smiled as she lowered the chart, "I'm growing more and more optimistic."

That did sound encouraging. _"Then perhaps Lineare will regain consciousness soon."_

"I wouldn't be surprised," Fraiser gave Veronica an encouraging smile, "Anything you need to tell me, Lieutenant? Any odd symptoms or inconsistencies?"

"Nope," She popped the 'p' with a puff of air, "Other than the feeling that I'm living in a glass bubble, everything's just peachy."

"Sorry about that, Lieutenant, but it can't be avoided."

Malek frowned, _"Doctor Fraiser, is it really necessary for her to be as isolated as she is? Now that her strength is returning, surely there is no harm in allowing her some freedom around the base."_

"I agree with you; however the General wants to take precautions. We were able to confirm that Lineare was gone after we recovered Matthew's body, but he still wants to be certain that this is Lineare before he lifts the order."

"What?"

Malek and Dr. Fraiser turned to Veronica in response to the single word. "It's not that he doesn't believe that it was Matthew's symbiote you took in, he just wants to be certain that it was Lineare in Matthew to begin with."

She frowned and shook her head as she sat up, "No, not that, the other thing."

Now it was Fraiser's turn to frown, "What other thing?"

"The other thing you sai-" Veronica paused, her expression becoming thoughtful, then surprised, "You're awake!"

Both Malek and Fraiser jumped. He was about to step forward but the Tau'ri doctor pushed past him to reach Veronica's side first. "Are you certain, Lieutenant?"

She nodded, "Yeah. He's up." Her brow furrowed, "Calm down! You're all right. Nothing is wrong!" There was a moment of silence as the doctor checked the readings on her monitors. "Yes something happened to you, you were two steps away from dead! You and Matthew were both dying. I wasn't so I offered to bring you back." Fraiser was comparing the current readings with the records on her chart.

Malek took a tentative step forward, _"Lineare, you are safe. We are among the Tau'ri, on their base." _Veronica held a hand up in his direction, a silent request that he step speaking.

"Look, I can't understand you with you ranting like this! Slow down and tell me what has your dick in a knot!" It was coarser speech than Malek had heard her use since meeting her. She sounded more like those rough Marines with whom she served that the reserved, somewhat shy woman he had come to know over the past few days.

He watched as her expression changed from irritated to… dumbfounded? "Oh." It then changed to chagrin and no small amount of embarrassment. "Oh! Are you sure?" she blinked, "Uhm… yeah."

"_What is wrong?"_

Veronica's head snapped in his direction. She looked as though she had forgotten he was there. Her eyes then darted to Dr. Fraiser. "Malek, could you… leave us alone for a bit? I need to talk to Dr. Fraiser about something sort of private."

Fraiser was taking her penlight from the pocket of her lab coat, "What seems to be the problem, Lieutenant?"

"Lineare thinks there's something wrong," she licked her lips, "He think it has to do with the… thing." Her eyes darted towards Malek briefly and he could see the discomfort in her eyes, "The one in my medical files. The one only you and MacKenzie know about?"

Doctor Fraiser's mouth fell open a bit before she snapped it closed and turned to him. "Malek, I'm going to have to ask you to clear the room."

"_Doctor, I feel I should be here. If there is something wrong…"_

"We don't know that there's anything wrong at this time, but at any rate I have to protect the privacy of my patients. I'll fill you in as soon as I have something to tell you."

"_I cannot leave. Lineare may…"_

"_Malek, just go!"_ His head snapped to Veronica's face, but he could tell it was Lineare looking back at him. The feminine face was set in a hard expression, the same one he'd seen the Tok'ra operative wear in nearly all his hosts.

But there was something else in the strange, teal colored eyes looking back at him. Something that seemed to come from both minds. It was fear. Both Veronica and Lineare were afraid, but it was obvious that they were not going to speak of that fear with him in the room.

"_I will need to know as soon as possible, Doctor Fraiser. If we need to bring a Tok'ra physician to tend to Lineare, then I can send word."_

Dr. Fraiser was gently herding him from the room, "No need to jump to those measures just yet. I need to first ascertain if there is a problem to be concerned over." She gave him a gentle, professional smile before shutting the door and leaving him in the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Malek was furious. The Tau'ri continued to keep him from speaking to Lineare. General Hammond seemed to be deferring to the woman known as Janet Fraiser as she cited 'more testing' needed to be done. It had been two days since Lineare had awakened and demanded that he leave the room. The waiting did nothing to set him at ease.

"_General Hammond, I must insist upon speaking with Lineare. Or at the very least I need to be allowed to contact the Tok'ra so that one of our own specialists can be sent if your Doctor Fraiser cannot determine the source of the problem!"_

Hammond sighed, "Malek, I am not unsympathetic to your concerns, but Dr. Fraiser is not the only one who has asked that the Tok'ra not be contacted in this."

"_Who else is there?"_

"Lineare and Lieutenant Marks. They have both requested that no information be shared until the tests are done."

**What madness is this? Turning away aid from our own people? What is Lineare thinking?** _"We would hear this from Lineare directly."_

"They aren't speaking to anyone but Doctors Fraiser and MacKenzie." Hammond didn't appear to be any happier about this than Malek and his host, but that knowledge did little to appease them.

"_There is no harm in asking. In requesting that he speak with me."_

"No, I suppose there isn't. I'll call down to the infirmary and speak to Doctor Fraiser. Perhaps she can plead your case to them, but I have to warn you; she's not going to approve anything that she suspects might be detrimental to the health of her patient."

"_I was under the impression that this was _your_ command."_

He had pushed too hard. He could see it in Hammond's eyes as they turned from his usual, almost fatherly gaze to something hard and steely. "It is, but in the military the chief medical officer of a base has the authority to override a base commander's orders if it is in the better interest of an individual or a group. I trust Doctor Fraiser to alert me the moment I should be concerned. And I urge you to do the same."

All in all it was a most unsatisfying conversation. Still, the general was true to his word and spoke to Fraiser. After a few hours, one of the Tau'ri guards appeared at the door of his temporary quarters to let him know that Lineare had asked to speak with him. They walked with him to one of the more remote infirmary labs within the base and allowed him entry.

The room was relatively bare. No beeping monitors here and there was other equipment with which he was unfamiliar. Dr. Fraiser was discussing something quietly with Veronica, their expressions serious. He waited patiently until Veronica's eyes moved in his direction. He watched her eyes flash for a brief second and knew that Lineare had taken control.

"_I hope that I find you well, Lineare."_

"_My health is not the concern," _she stood up from the medical bed upon which she was sitting, _"There are… other complications."_

"_Of what sort? General Hammond said that you specifically requested that we not contact the Tok'ra. He said you are refusing help from our own people."_

"_Because if we contacted them, they would send Anise. I assure you, Anise is the last person with whom I wish to speak. Nor do I wish to be subjected to her sometimes questionable methods,"_ Lineare had never kept his disapproval of Anise's research tactics secret. When it came to a strict moral code, Lineare's was possibly more developed than the majority of their kind. He sided with Selmak in the arguments that the Tok'ra needed to be more open and cooperative with the Tau'ri. Like Selmak, he was quickly losing popularity among the others.

"_You must give me something."_

"_No, I must not," _Lineare gave a smirk, _"These Tau'ri have a strong opinion on what they call 'Private Health Information'. In short, an individual's personal health and well-being is their own concern and unless it endangers the group, it does not have to be shared. It's rather… mature."_

Malek scowled, _"You sound as though you admire them."_

"_I do. I have long said that we Tok'ra do ourselves a great disservice by distancing ourselves from the Tau'ri as we do."_

"_I did not come here to get into another one of your debates on the many positive aspects of the Tau'ri!"_ Malek sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, _"I am merely trying to ascertain why you are behaving so strangely."_

Lineare's smirk faded, _"I realize that it is upsetting, but greatly more so to Veronica and myself. I cannot give you answers at this time, but all will be explained."_

Malek was about to push further when the door opened. Dr. MacKenzie came in carrying a small container. He paused upon seeing Malek and cast a questioning look between Dr. Fraiser and Lineare. "I… brought the testing materials."

Malek turned back to Lineare, _"More tests?"_

"_Just one more."_ Lineare pulled her eyes away from the container, her expression hard. _"We should have all the answers we need by tomorrow evening. Now you must go."_

"_You're not going to tell me what they are testing for."_

"_No, I am not. I must ask that you remain patient. Please, go now."_

Another unsatisfying meeting, but at least he now knew that Lineare was not being held against his well. Malek did not try to keep the displeasure from his features before turning around and leaving the room. He did, however, pause to take one final look before the door closed. His reward was a glimpse of Veronica's troubled face as she looked at the small container Dr. MacKenzie had brought. She did not appear to be happy to see it.

~***~

Dr. Jackson was somewhat more tolerable than the other Tau'ri. Samantha Carter was also tolerable, though she was often too busy and his opinion might be somewhat colored by the fact that Selmak considered his host's daughter his child as well. The tenuous familial connection did give her some added standing with the Tok'ra.

Still, with Samantha tied up with her experiments, Malek instead planted himself in Dr. Jackson's office, assisting with Gao'uld translations, _"Your grasp at languages not your own is quite remarkable, Dr. Jackson."_

"Uhm… thanks. And thanks for your help. I've got most of the language down, but sometimes I keep running into variations. Languages grow and evolve just like people, so there are always little changes popping up."

"_Yes, such is the way of humans. Ever changing," _Malek studied the board upon which Jackson had made his notes_, "It is one of the things that Selmak and Lineare both admire of your species."_

"I wasn't aware that Lineare was… pro-Earth. I mean I knew Selmak was, but we didn't know much about Lineare other than he's one of your spies."

"_Lineare is relatively young. He was in the last brood of symbiotes that Egeria spawned before she was taken from us. Selmak and his host at the time were their… father for lack of a better term."_

Jackson finally looked up from the book he had been pouring over, "Oh? You mean that… Selmak and Egeria…"

It was amusing to see the Tau'ri set off balance_, "For a very brief time. It was more for the sake of procreation than for any deep, emotional connection. But it is why Selmak insisted on coming through with me when we arrived. If he had not had an assignment to deal with, he would have remained here to watch over Lineare's recovery."_

"How many of that brood still remain?"

"_Sadly, very few. Most have been lost to us for some time."_

"Oh," There was a knock on the door causing them both to look up. One of the Tau'ri soldiers stood there, "Yes, Airman?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Jackson, but General Hammond sent me to tell you that Dr. Fraiser has requested a meeting at sixteen hundred. SG-1, Major Reynolds and the Tok'ra representative are all requested to attend."

Malek leaned forward, _"They have finished with their tests?"_

"I wasn't given that information, Sir. I'm just supposed to inform you both about the meeting."

"Thank you, Airman. We'll be there," Jackson looked at the clock on the wall, "Three hours."

They were three of the longest hours Malek could remember. He spent the last hour of it pacing the length of the debriefing room. As it grew closer to the appointed hour, General Hammond, SG-1 and Major Reynolds joined him. The last to arrive were Doctors Fraiser and MacKenzie.

Hammond nodded to Fraiser, "Doctors. Are we waiting for Lieutenant Marks?"

Fraiser opened the file on her desk, "Lieutenant Marks will not be joining us."

"_Why not?"_

"She and Lineare wanted to be left alone. They felt there were… matters to discuss," Fraiser took a deep breath, one hand resting on the reports before her, "However, they did give me permission to disclose their sensitive health information and explain what has happened."

General Hammond took a visual survey of the table before turning back to Fraiser, "We're listening, Doctor."

Fraiser took a deep breath, "As you know, I am only required to disclose health information that has a direct impact on a person's duties. The same holds true with Dr. MacKenzie and the psychological health of SGC personnel. As long as it didn't interfere with Lieutenant Marks' performance as a member of this base, her personal health information was protected by law."

She turned a page in the file, "That being said, I was never under any obligation to disclose a particular abnormality that Marks has had since birth. She has Complete Male Psuedohermaphroditism."

Malek was as lost as most of the table. O'Neill was the first to speak, "Is it contagious?"

"It is a condition where a male fetus fails to develop correctly and instead appears to be female," Everyone gave a questioning look towards Teal'c, "I have been watching 'House MD'. The condition was a plot device used for the episode 'Skin Deep'. A teenage supermodel falls ill. After much testing it is found that she is actually male and suffering from testicular cancer. She was unaware of it until the diagnosis was made."

Hammond looked back to Fraiser, "Doctor?"

"Teal'c is mostly correct. In Marks' case there was no cancer involved. Her parents became worried when she was seventeen and still not having a monthly cycle. They had her examined and the doctors discovered the abnormality. It's very rare, but in some cases such as Marks' the body is immune to testosterone, and thus the triggers that would normally be launched by the Y chromosome during gestation don't take. Most hermaphrodites actually show either ambiguous sexual characteristics or indications of both genders. In a few cases like this one, the physical appearance is female while the internal characteristics aren't. Genetic testing on Marks would tell you she's a man, but as gender is legally defined in most cases by genitalia, she is legally a woman."

Malek was trying to reconcile the woman in question with the information being given. Taller than average, but her bone structure was definitely feminine. Reddish-blonde hair that she kept short so that it was easier to care for and unlikely to break uniform regulations. Eyes that instead of being just blue or green were a striking shade of teal.

But other things made sense. Such as her clear dislike of being the center of attention.

"And this was not something that you felt I needed to know as commander of this base."

She shook her head, "No, General. As I said, it had no bearing on her performance as a member of this command. It was a purely personal medical issue."

Malek frowned_, "How does this affect Lineare? He was clearly upset when he awakened."_

"And with good reason. We know that when a Tok'ra blends with a host they share the physical body equally. In order to make a stable blending the symbiote takes on some of the biological characteristics."

"_Of course. It allows for nutrients to be equally shared as well as allows the symbiote to interact with the physiology of the host."_

Fraiser nodded in agreement, "Exactly. Now Lineare was so badly injured he had to quickly make those bonds. In doing so, however, he inadvertently opened himself up to Marks' immunity to testosterone as well as the constant hormonal imbalance favoring the hormones more prevalent in the female of the species. It triggered a… metamorphosis for lack of a better term. He hasn't been unconscious all this time because he was healing. He's been out because he was changing."

Dr. Jackson exchanged a look with O'Neill, "Uh… changing into what, exactly?"

"A queen," Fraiser let the word sink in before going on, "Symbiotes on their own have no gender with the exception of the queens which can be classified as female."

Malek, with all his centuries of knowledge, was having trouble comprehending what was being said. O'Neill brought it down into simpler, if cruder, terms.

"She gave him a sex change?"

"That is the easiest way to explain it, Colonel. Our tests confirm it. Upon waking Lineare could tell that something was different. We first obtained a new CT scan and MRI to compare with the ones taken when she first came through the gate. There had been no indication that we needed to take follow-up scans since their primary function was only to confirm that there was a symbiote. The new scans, however, show physiological changes in the symbiote itself."

Jackson was keenly interested. "What sort of changes."

"_Once inside the host, queens go through physiological changes in preparation of procreation. Though rarely seen outside of a host, those that have been are substantially larger than a normal symbiote. Inside a host, the queen develops additional tissues and organs, much like a queen of an insect colony, only these additions integrate with those of the host,"_ Malek took a breath, knowing that this next part would not be welcomed, _"It is also what makes removal of a queen creature from a host is exceedingly more difficult. When leaving the host, the primary portion of the symbiote can leave, but the additional biological material is left behind. It often turns toxic and kills the host. They can be removed surgically, but there is substantial risk that the host will not survive."_

"What?" Jackson's expression was horrified, and with good reason. The Tok'ra were well aware of his wife's current status as a host for a queen.

"_It is not impossible, but it is very unlikely to succeed."_

The general looked even more upset, "Are you saying that there's no way to get Lineare out of my marine?"

"_You are correct, General Hammond. If Lineare has truly become a queen creature, then this blending has become permanent. This is the reason Goa'uld queens are so particular about their hosts. They want to be certain that it is a face they wish to see for the next several centuries."_

Samantha looked towards Dr. Fraiser, "Janet, with a hermaphrodite, very seldom do all the sexual organs work. Lineare may appear to have the physical aspects of a queen, but is he… she?"

Fraiser nodded, "She is. The final test was done yesterday morning using genetic material we obtained from the cryo bank in Denver. As of five hours ago we now have seven apparently healthy Tok'ra larvae."

The murmurs around the table were filled with shock. Malek found it hard to breathe from the shock, _"He – she – is fully functional?"_

"Yes, although she does think that with a larger brood she should take more time with the imprinting. According to Lineare her genetic memory indicates that a proper imprint should take over several days."

It was incredible. They had tried in the past, of course. Attempts had been made to make a queen so that their race might survive, but nothing had worked. And the likelihood of a Goa'uld queen joining the Tok'ra was almost non-existent, _"I will need to contact the Tok'ra immediately. They need to be made aware of this development."_

It was MacKenzie's voice that answered with a resounding "No!" All eyes turned towards him. "General, I must strongly caution against such an action."

"_This development could mean the continued survival of the Tok'ra, Doctor. It is imperative that they know of it."_

"General, Lieutenant Marks has been my patient since joining the SGC, and that was just a continuation of the therapy she's been undergoing since her diagnosis. While on duty she's just another Marine with no real need to interact as a male or female. That's easy for her. But outside of this facility she still has extreme difficulty with interpersonal relationships. It took her years before she could think of herself in the female rather than just considering herself an 'it'. She still doesn't date. She struggles with sexual and gender identity issues each and every day. And now the symbiote faces the same problem; thrust almost immediately from a secure belief that she was an asexual being only to wake up being something else entirely. Forcing them into a social setting that requires them to face up to their current status when they haven't even accepted it themselves could cause irreparable damage to both of them."

"And again you did not feel this was something I needed to know."

"As I said, her duties as a Marine were not affected. We do not generally encourage romantic relationships within the same command and Marks isn't given to such relationships even if it wasn't frowned upon."

Fraiser nodded, "And there is the added fact that neither Marks nor Lineare wish to be confronted by the Tok'ra as a whole just yet. They have, however, requested to speak privately with Malek." The doctor gave him what was supposed to be a soothing smile, "They're still in the same lab. You can go down at any time."

Just like that? Deny him the clearance to inform the rest of the Tok'ra of one of the most significant events to have come their way since the loss of Egeria and in the same breath tell him that he could see Lineare and, perhaps, finally get some proper answers.

Politeness dictated that he at least wait until the meeting was called to an end. After that he wasted no time navigating the corridors from the meeting room to the secluded medical lab. He was about to walk in unannounced, driving more by his frustration over the past few days than by an eagerness to speak with Lineare, before stopping himself. Taking a calming breath he knocked sharply on the door. Lineare's voice called out for him to enter.

She had changed back into the military combat uniform that was worn by the personnel on base. The over shirt was draped over the narrow hospital bed. Lineare was seated in a chair facing a large glass tank in which swam seven pale, fragile larvae. Malek found himself drawn to her side, his eyes fastened onto the tank.

"_Remarkable."_

"_I'm fairly certain I got them imprinted properly. It is fortunate that so much of the genetic material had been damaged beyond usefulness by the freezing process. Otherwise I might have attempted too large of a brood this first time."_

There was a note of… concern under the voice, _"I am curious… why use frozen materials?"_

"_Because Veronica was not comfortable with the idea of requesting samples from her fellow soldiers. And I have to admit that I agreed with her," _The chair swiveled around so that she was facing him, _"Are you going to start your grand argument?"_

"_What argument?"_

"_The one we both know is coming. The one that says I should return to the Tok'ra immediately. The one that tries to impress upon me the fact that the very key to our survival may lie within me. The one that says I should willingly give up whatever semblance of freedom I may have to spend the rest of my days producing new Tok'ra."_

The challenging tone was unmistakable, _"It does not have to be that way."_ Even as he spoke the words, he could taste the falseness in them. The intention would not be there at first, but it would not take long for Lineare's freedoms to be slowly chipped away. Only a short time before she was not allowed to do anything that may endanger her for the betterment of all the Tok'ra. It would be a comfortable cage, but still a cage, no matter how good their intentions, _"Is that why you do not want to contact the Tok'ra?"_

"_Only in part," _Lineare frowned, crossing one leg over the other as she studied him, _"Tell me, do you remember when SG-1 first sought us out?"_

"_Only from what I have been told. I was on assignment."_

"_Yes, well, the others thought that their offer of an alliance meant that they wanted to volunteer to be hosts. When it became clear that the idea of blending was abhorrent to them the other Tok'ra became offended. But do you know what keeps coming back to me about that first encounter? Not one of our people ever stopped to think that perhaps what the blending offers to the host was not enough for SG-1 to willingly walk away from their lives."_

Malek frowned, _"I… do not understand."_

"_We Tok'ra only take willing hosts. Our hosts come to us of their own accord, often dying and with no other options. They've made any good-byes that needed to be made. They've closed up any remainders of their old lives that might still linger. SG-1 had not come to us to offer themselves as hosts. They had not seen to any such closures. And not one of our people ever stopped to think that they might have had spouses or children or other commitments in their lives that were more important to them than anything we could offer to them. They just assumed that the needs of the Tok'ra were greater. And in that assumption we were no better than the Goa'uld we fight."_

Hearing it put in such a fashion felt much like a slap to the face. Malek's host was tactfully silent as he mulled it over. He had been fortunate in that he'd never had faced a situation in which he'd had to take a host quickly and unwillingly, as Jolinar had been forced to do with Samantha Carter at one time. All of his hosts had been willing and resolute in their desire to be part of their lives. A few had left families but they had been dying as it was. To have such a harsh light shone upon another possible facet of reality was… enlightening.

"_And what is it that Veronica must give up?"_

"_Her career. It is very important to her. The military gives her a place where she feels she belongs, something that humans desperately need."_

"_But she would have a place among us."_

"_But she would not be at home. She offered herself as host to save my life and so that I might get information back that could save even more. Who are we to so radically alter her life simply because of an incident she couldn't have possibly foreseen?"_ Lineare shook her head, her expression scolding, _"You have never had a female host, have you?"_

He blinked, _"No, I have not. All my hosts have been men."_

"_It shows. The mind of a woman is far different than that of a man. Their perceptions on life and the world around them certainly can give you a better overall understanding of the human condition. You should consider it should you find yourself in need of a new host in the future."_

Apparently female hosts were confusing. He wasn't not certain that he wanted to subject himself to it, _"You are being most confusing, Lineare, though I suspect this is a confusing time for you. The Tau'ri doctor, MacKenzie, seems to believe that you will have problems adjusting."_

"_Wouldn't you?" _She was already slipping easily into the speech patterns of the host, using contractions to shorten words with little difficulty, _"I wonder how you would feel were you to suddenly wake up and find that your entire physiology had shifted."_

Malek thought that perhaps now would be a good time to stop trying to win a battle of words with Lineare. The long sleep had apparently done her much good and he was finding it hard to locate the holes in her logic, _"How is Veronica?"_ Lineare arched a brow at him. _"What?"_

"_I don't believe I have ever heard you inquire after the well-being of a host before, Malek. Are you feeling well?"_ He gave her a look of irritation, to which she just shrugged, _"I only ask out of concern."_

"_I believe that you have spent too much time in Selmak's company. You seem to be laboring under the belief that you should be just as irreverent as he."_

Lineare's expression was that of amusement, _"Merely making an observation."_ The smile left, _"What are your plans, Malek?"_

He was silent for an extended moment before speaking, _"The Tau'ri have clearly decided to adhere to your wishes in this and will not contact the others. However, should the Tok'ra initiate contact,"_ he stopped and considered it, _"I will respect your wishes as well. This is a trying time and there are doubtless other matters that you and your host need to weigh carefully. And…I can appreciate the desire not to have to deal with Anise just yet."_

Lineare's expression changed again, this time to gratitude, _"I thank you for that, Malek. We both do."_


	3. Chapter 3

"You and Lineare have been talking?"

Veronica nodded, "A lot. She keeps reminding me that I don't have to speak aloud but I forget sometimes. I know I've got to look like a total nut job most of the time."

MacKenzie allowed himself a brief chuckle, "How are you getting along?"

"As well as can be expected. I mean, it's not like either of us has much of a choice about it. There's no 'alone time'. We're together. _All_ the time," she grimaced, "Can get annoying now and again, but that's pretty much mutual."

"What sort of things do you discuss?"

"All sorts. It goes quickly because it's at the speed of thought for the most part."

"Can you give me some examples?"

She took a breath and let it out with a huff as she considered the question, "We discuss different things the Tok'ra have done in the past. Talk about memories she has about her previous hosts. She was a bit upset that we couldn't get permission to leave base and visit Matthew's grave but she was thankful that I insisted that he was properly buried."

"I had heard that you had paid for his funeral. Why did you do that?"

She shrugged, "Seemed like the right thing to do. Otherwise he would have ended up in a pauper's grave or cremated, which seemed rather rude considering that he was a hero in his own right. And he didn't qualify for a military burial. Besides, I can afford it. And… it almost made up for not being allowed to attend the funerals for my team."

"Do you still blame yourself for their deaths?"

Ronnie sighed and leaned back in the chair, "I know it's not my fault, but it seems so… unfair. I mean, two of them were married and Colbert had two kids not even school age, yet. It doesn't seem right that the single person with no attachments gets to live while the family men who are needed at home are gone." She picked at a weak spot in the wood laminate covering the arm of her chair, "Life is cruel, sometimes."

"Do you and Lineare ever discuss your future?"

"Yeah, we talk about that the most."

MacKenzie waiting a moment, When she didn't volunteer anything further, he pushed with a gentle, "And?"

Ronnie sighed. "It's… unnerving. I have to give her credit for being patient. She's got lots of patience, probably because she's so old. But… this is all new for her, too. The future scares us both."

"Why are you scared?"

She continued to pick at the laminate, "Because there's going to be a lot of pressure on us. On both of us. Neither of us is looking forward to it."

MacKenzie studied Marks quietly. Over the past year he had learned to read her fairly well and knew when he was about to hit a wall, "Do you think that I could speak with Lineare?" Teal eyes lifted up to meet his before flashing brightly.

"_I was under the impression that these sessions were for Veronica's benefit."_

"Well, from what I understand of the Tok'ra, you are part of Veronica now. Isn't that how your blending is supposed to work? You are now one entity? Essentially two souls housed in the same body?"

"_That is correct."_

Apparently the Tok'ra was just as guarded as the host. It was almost as though they had been made for one another, "How are you adjusting to the changes?"

Lineare met his gaze unwaveringly for an extended moment before answering, _"I have nothing to which it can be compared. To my knowledge this has not happened before. Of course, the chances of a symbiote blending with a host possessing this particular… abnormality are very low. I am likely the first."_

"It can't be easy for you. Veronica has been dealing with something quite similar for close to seven years now, and she still has difficulties."

"_I _am_ aware of my host's history, Doctor MacKenzie. Because of the blending I share her every memory."_

"Including those right after her diagnosis," the Tok'ra's eyes flashed again, her jaw tensing, "That appears to be a sore subject with you."

"_Should it not be? You know what was done,"_ she paused, her expression becoming more introverted for a second, _"She does not wish to explore this subject."_

"But we are talking about your feelings on the matter."

"_I know my feelings on the matter, as does Veronica. However, she does not wish us to continue this line of discussion. I will respect that wish."_

Interesting. "Very well. How are the pair of you interacting with others?"

"_We see few people outside of the medical staff, those officers most directly involved in our being here and Malek."_

"And how are things between yourself and Malek? These changes affect the rest of the Tok'ra as well."

Her lips pursed, _"I am uncertain. Malek is not behaving like himself."_

"What's different about his behavior?"

"_He is being… understanding. The Malek I am used to would have pushed his way into the control room and sent a message to the rest of the Tok'ra by now. It is not like him to be so patient. Had I ever noted a tendency in him towards to seek political aspirations aggressively I would think he was trying to get a head start on securing the position of _**Merit**._"_

MacKenzie frowned, "I don't understand. What position of merit?"

"**Merit**_ in this case is more of a title. It was a name often given to girls in ancient Egypt. The literal translation would be 'beloved', though in this case it would mean 'consort'."_

He blinked, "As in _your_ consort?"

Lineare nodded, _"Mine and Veronica's, yes. As you pointed out earlier, we are one entity. Any such decision would need to be a mutual one. I will not use this body in a way that would upset the host. Most certainly not in any way involving coitus unless she were in agreement with the act."_

MacKenzie looked over some notes he had taken from a talk with Fraiser and Jackson, "I was under the impression that sexual intercourse was not actually required for a queen to produce new larvae."

_"It is not, but it is preferred. Genetic material from the host species ensures stronger larvae as well as a better integration with a host upon maturity. Without it there can be a chance of rejection or the loss of the ability to change hosts later. The Goa'uld have found that in some cases the absence of a male donor can result in symbiotes who cannot fully control their host's body."_

He frowned. "I'm sure you are aware that one of the matters Veronica has been dealing with in our sessions is her difficulty with sexual intimacy."

_"And therein lies one of our many obstacles."_

~***~

"I can't believe you two talked about my sex life!"

_**He initiated the conversation and I know from your memories that you speak to him about such topics often. And it is not as though you actually have a sex life.**_

"That's not the point," she kept her pace on the treadmill steady. The soldiers who had been in the gym upon her arrival had gradually vacated soon after. It stung, but she wasn't going to give up her workout because of it, "Listening to the pair of you talking about my intimacy issues was embarrassing!"

_**Are you under the impression that I would like to listen to the pair of you discuss me instead? If I am to be honest, I do not see where he is of much benefit to you. You have not had a 'breakthrough' since you finally were able to accept yourself as being female, and that was before you came to Stargate Command and came to be under the care of Dr. MacKenzie. **_

"Is that your way of saying my head is as shrunken as it's going to get?"

_**I am saying that perhaps you need to try a different route. Actually giving your fellow Tau'ri the benefit of the doubt might not be ill advised. They do not seem to find your conflicting gender issues to be a matter of concern.**_

Ronnie gave a bark of laughter and then took deep breaths for a few seconds to recenter herself, "That's probably because my being a he/she is easier to swallow than having you in my head."

_**True. I am ashamed to admit that at times I had the same bewilderment of most Tok'ra as to why the Tau'ri were so opposed to the idea of blending. Selmak tried to explain it to me after he joined with Jacob Carter but I still did not fully understand. Now that I know your thoughts it is somewhat clearer. The amount of importance your kind place on self-identity and individuality is staggering.**_

"Yeah, well, that's humans for you. Self-centered and self-absorbed to the core," the treadmill beeped to signal that she had gone the full five miles. She stopped the machine and stepped off, frowning, "I don't feel like I'm getting a good workout any longer. I'm barely even winded."

_**I do not believe that most people would complain.**_

"But I like a good workout. Now it feels like I'm… cheating," she made her way to the weight bench and started to load on the pounds. "Couldn't you at least leave me that?" she heard Lineare sigh inside her mind, "What?"

_**Veronica, we are going to be sharing this body for a very long time. The next two hundred years would go far more smoothly if we did not complain about every little thing we do that annoys the other. Try to remember that I did not ask for this any more than you. **_

A feeling of guilt stabbed through her. "Sorry."

_**As am I. It is not my intention to upset you.**_

"No. You're right. I need to remember that we're both in the same fix. I shouldn't be such a b…" she stopped as the door to the gym opened. Instead of a fellow soldier, however, Malek walked in, "Come to spot me?"

He stopped just inside the door, a confused frown marring his forehead, _"Spot you? I do not understand."_

Veronica shook her head slightly as Lineare took over, _"She is teasing you, Malek. What brings you here?"_

_"The Tok'ra made contact less than a hour ago."_

Lineare was not surprised. _"Did you speak with them?"_

_"I did."_

_"And what did you tell them?"_

Malek took a breath, his jaw flexing briefly, _"I told them that you were awake, but that you and Veronica were still attempting to regain your strength. I… might have indicated that she fell ill shortly after her return, thus delaying your recovery."_

The fact that he mentioned Veronica by name rather than just referring to her as 'the host' was not lost on Lineare. _"You lied to the council?"_

_"I made an error based on a misunderstanding of facts." _He clearly wasn't fully comfortable with his actions, _"We will not be able to avoid them for much longer. They did ask if they should send through one of our own healers. I told them that both you and Veronica had complete faith in Dr. Fraiser and her staff and were making good progress. But it will not hold them for long."_

_"It does not have to. We only need to stall them until after tomorrow's meeting with General Hammond and his senior staff. After that we will advise the Tok'ra of… our current condition, regardless of the outcome."_

Malek's head tilted to one side, _"What outcome are you hoping to arise from tomorrow's meeting?"_

_"All will make sense tomorrow, Malek. We must ask for your indulgence a little while longer."_

His frown deepened, but he nodded in agreement before turning away and leaving the gym. Lineare watched him, standing motionless by the weight bench.

**He's going to blow a gasket when he realizes what we're up to, isn't he?**

_**That, Veronica, is an extreme understatement of the situation.**_

~***~

Bra'tac waited until the Tau'ri who manned the 'Alpha Site' indicated he should be safe to pass through the Chappa'ai before doing so. Soon he was descending the ramp inside the Tau'ri base and to the familiar sight of armed guards, always watchful for a possible Goa'uld incursion. Hammond of Texas was ever vigilant regarding such matters. The Tau'ri general was a wise man.

Teal'c greeted him warmly and it did his old heart good to see his most promising student once more, "I was not expecting your message, Teal'c. To what do I owe the honor of the Tau'ri's invitation?"

"Your presence was requested by Lineare, the Tok'ra queen."

Bra'tac paused, his confusion etched onto his wizened features, "I was not aware that the there was a Tok'ra queen. Our legends say that she was lost to them long ago."

"Indeed," Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back as they walked side-by-side through the corridors, "Egeria was lost to them. However the Tok'ra now have a new queen. It is she who has requested this meeting."

"One of the Goa'uld queens has pledged her aid in the destruction of the System Lords, then."

"It is exceedingly more complicated than that, Old Friend."

They took a longer, less convenient way to the briefing room so that they could speak. By the time they had reached the room where matters were to be discussed, Teal'c had explained everything to him. Bra'tac was still trying to make sense of it all as they ascended the spiral stairs to the briefing room. He could see Hammond of Texas still in his office off to the side through the open door, speaking through the primitive communication device on his desk. The members of SG-1 smiled and came forward to greet him as a friend and ally. Colonel O'Neill introduced him to another Tau'ri soldier, a Major Reynolds from their 'Marines'. On the other side of the room, near the massive window that overlooked the Chappa'ai, stood a man in the usual garb of the Tok'ra speaking to another Tau'ri soldier; a woman only slightly shorter than the tall man. She looked up at him, her expression guarded.

This, he surmised, must be the new Tok'ra queen. Bra'tac studied her openly. She was pretty, some would even call her beautiful, but she lacked the uncompromising beauty that Goa'uld queens demanded of their hosts. Her life as a warrior had given her a strong form and she looked as though she could run for several miles without difficulty. Her figure was generously curved though this was somewhat understated by her unusual height. He did not think that he could recall seeing hair the same red-gold as hers and from a distance he could not tell if her eyes were blue or green. All in all she was an attractive person, but he still did not think her enough so that he could see her being chosen as the host for a queen. Of course, her symbiote had not been a queen when they blended.

Hammond finished his conversation in the other room and came to join them. Bra'tac returned his smile, "Welcome, Master Bra'tac. It is good to see you again."

"Greetings, Hammond of Texas. It is good to be among my Tau'ri friends once more."

"It's always a pleasure to have you here. Please, make yourself at home," he motioned towards the table and Bra'tac selected a seat nearest the head of the table where Hammond always sat. Teal'c took the chair immediately to his left and Colonel O'Neill sat down across from him.

"I am curious as to why I am here, General Hammond. Teal'c has advised me of the change within the Tok'ra," His eyes moved briefly to the female who was now taking a seat, the male Tok'ra waiting until she had done so before sitting down himself, his demeanor ever watchful and attentive, "Although this is good news for the Tok'ra I am curious as to how it involves the Free Jaffa."

"That is for Lieutenant Marks and Lineare to explain. This meeting was their idea," Hammond nodded to the Tok'ra female who nodded back in response before speaking.

_"It is an honor to meet you in person, Master Bra'tac. Veronica echoes that sentiment. She has only ever seen you before from a distance,"_ he tilted his head in response, still vigilant with Tok'ra in the room. There was a great deal of bad blood between their people, supported by countless deaths on each side. Such feelings were not easy to set aside.

_"The Free Jaffa, the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra all have a common goal: to bring about the downfall of the Goa'uld System Lords," she leaned forward, resting her forearms onto the table as she spoke, "The cementing factor of this three-way alliance is and has always been the Tau'ri. A long and violent history between the Tok'ra and Jaffa would keep our people from working together were it up to us alone."_

Bra'tac gave a slight nod in agreement. O'Niell's brow arched, "Glad we could be of service."

_"I doubt you realize just how true my assertion is, Colonel. Tok'ra only take willing hosts. Some of them come to us because they are dying and desperate, true, but most come to us because they have lost loved ones and friends to the Goa'uld, whose orders are carried out by the Jaffa. The Tok'ra blending is more complete than that of a Goa'uld and his forced host. Our perceptions and emotions become deeply intertwined. They know the genetic memories of the Goa'uld including the sins committed by those who came before Egeria's break with the System Lords. Many of them have reason to distrust the Jaffa."_

Bra'tac leaned back in his seat, "True, but neither are the Tok'ra free from blame. Tok'ra infiltrators and saboteurs have been the cause for thousands of Jaffa deaths. We, too, have our reasons to doubt."

Malek's eyes flashed as he shifted in his chair, _"We are at war with the Goa'uld. Such an environment breeds casualties. The Jaffa who died would have just as quickly killed us. How many innocent lives have been lost to a Jaffa sta…"_ The female quickly raised her hand and he fell silent. His readiness to obey her was not missed by Bra'tac.

_"Both sides are partially at fault and neither is without blame," _The male sat back in his chair, his jaw tight, _"But it is our hope that with our new… status… Veronica and I may be able to assist in somewhat stabilizing and strengthening our alliance."_

That caught everyone's attention. It was Hammond who encouraged her to continue, "What did you have in mind?"

_"The Free Jaffa take a great risk in rebelling. Though it can take years for a larval symbiote to mature, it does happen. Once it does, the Jaffa will die unless a new primtah takes its place. By rebelling, they have cut themselves off from the temples and thus their source for replacements. Also, once a rebel is identified their family is cast out. Their wives face the same fate as the warriors, and the children are unlikely to see adulthood because their immune systems will fail as they enter into puberty and they are likely to be denied primtah of their own. Now, however, we are in a position to assist with this."_

Malek stiffened, his expression incredulous as he looked in askance at his queen. The members of the Tau'ri about the table exchanged glances. Bra'tac felt the side of his mouth tilt up briefly on its own before he dared to speak, "You would provide your children as primtahs to the Free Jaffa?"

_"That is our hope. We are supposed to be giving birth to future Tok'ra to fight against the System Lords. We see no reason why those Tok'ra should not be afforded the opportunity to first enter that fight by helping our allies remain strong."_

_"Lineare, you cannot mean to do this!"_ Bra'tac watched as the male Tok'ra sat up, leaning in towards his queen. His eyes were pleading and he doubted that he was even aware that he had reached for her hand, wrapping his fingers over hers, _"You mean to entrust our future to the Jaffa? They do not even bother to hide their animosity towards us."_

_"No more than you bother to hide yours towards them. The Jaffa are a powerful and much needed ally in this battle, but they will not be able to remain in this fight if they sicken and die because we did not offer our support when it was in our power to give it,"_ she pulled her hand free, _"They are our children. It is our choice on how they will be cared for."_

Bra'tac watched unblinkingly as the Tok'ra entered into a silent battle of wills. After a long moment the male pushed away from the table and rose from his chair, _"I have heard all that I intend."_ He gave no polite farewell as he stalked from the room.

"Uhm…" O'Neill pointed towards the retreating Tok'ra, "where's he going?"

_"Most likely to send a message to the Tok'ra."_

Hammond frowned, "Do you need me to stop him?"

The queen sighed and shook her head, but it was not the resonating voice of a Goa'uld that sounded when she spoke again, "Let him go, Sir. He's feeling betrayed and pissy. Locking him up will only make it worse. To tell the truth, she's been surprised that he's agreed to keep his mouth shut about us this long."

Bra'tac felt a bit more relaxed with the host speaking rather than the parasite that dwelled within her, "Do you think that the Tok'ra will try and stop you from offering your children to us?"

The woman seemed to ponder the question for a moment, "Not at first. In the beginning they will see the benefit to both sides that comes from this action. The Jaffa will be able to shake free from the control of the System Lords and the new Tok'ra will be safe as they mature. Well…" she gave a shrug, "as safe as being inside the stomach pouch of a soldier who's constantly being shot at can be."

Dr. Jackson seemed to understand the intricacies better than any of the other Tau'ri, "Your concern is that eventually they will overrule you in this."

"Eventually. Lineare explained something to me about the queens. They are extremely rare, and because of that they are highly guarded and often secluded. The truly powerful System Lord has a queen who provides new symbiotes to strengthen their armies and to mature into future lieutenants. But you will probably never see that queen. She is kept in seclusion and under heavy guard. She is provided every comfort and decadence she could possibly want, but she's not truly free. The Tok'ra would probably try to listen to our desires to be allowed something akin to freedom at first but… we're pretty sure paranoia and a desire to keep us safe will eventually end up chipping away at that freedom until the point that we were just as secluded and never heard from as a Goa'uld queen."

"She is right, Hammond of Texas. The Tok'ra will not want to risk her safety. They would keep her as comfortable as they are able to do so with their constant movement, but she would not be free. And she would likely one day lose the right to aid us as she is suggesting." Such was the way of things, unless an answer could be found that would keep this new queen out of the grasp of her own followers.

"Does Lineare have any suggestions, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, General. We're fairly certain that for us to be the most effective, we're going to have stay on Earth."


	4. Chapter 4

He found her in one of the Tau'ri's medical labs that was somewhat isolated from the rest. She was seated in front of a glass tank holding seven young symbiotes, watching them swim and twist around one another. Bra'tac observed as she put the tip of one of her fingers to the glass. The symbiotes swam towards it, fixating on it and then following it as she moved her hand slowly around the front of the tank.

"These are you children?"

It was the Tau'ri host who answered. "Yep. This is them."

He watched them as they followed her hand. "Only seven?"

"It was a test batch. We needed to see if Lineare was capable of reproducing considering that until she hooked up with me she didn't really have a gender. We're certain we can have larger broods, but we needed to see if we could have a healthy one first."

"I see." He came further into the room, his curious eyes studying the symbiotes critically. "These are almost strong enough for implantation. They should take only another week, if that long."

"That's what Lineare thinks as well. This first group can be sort of a 'good faith' move." She peered at them. "We're fairly certain she got the imprint right, complete with Egeria's theories on _why_ what the Goa'uld do is wrong. And she added that hosts should be willing and that they should always bear in mind that the sins committed by the Goa'uld against the Jaffa are just as great as the sins committed against humanity. We thought that might help smooth the way for better cooperation in the future if we can't win this war within the next few years."

He was impressed. "I had not realized there were Tok'ra who were so fair minded."

"She says it's because I'm her host. Don't get me wrong, she still has the memories and emotions that other Tok'ra do, but she says that blending with me gives her the chance to see things through the Tau'ri's eyes. It helps her to… reexamine the landscape." The woman gave a shrug. "And she already had a bit of a head start thanks to her close friendship with Selmak. He gets the same alternate view thanks to his blending with General Carter. It makes a difference."

Bra'tac turned and peered at the Tau'ri female. She glanced up and frowned. "What?"

"Forgive me for staring, but I… was looking for the man your healers say is supposed to be inside of you." She gave a soft chuff and looked away. "I meant no insult."

"I'm not insulted. I used to spend a lot of time looking for him, too. Especially right after the diagnosis. I'd spend hours in front of the mirror, looking for anything out of place that might be deemed masculine."

He nodded and helped himself to a nearby chair. "I will not pretend that I understand. I cannot fathom what it must have been like for you." His cloak pooled on the floor beside him. "It could not have been easy."

She shook her head, her blue-green eyes going somewhat distant. "It wasn't. It was… painful." She shook her head again. "And this all seems completely unfair."

"How is it unfair?"

"Because after finding out that I wasn't a real girl, all I wanted was to be normal. I wanted to be able to have the things that normal girls have, and I was never going to have them. Lineare was born without gender into a race where that is the norm. She was content with just being another Tok'ra symbiote. Now she's the true female, capable of bringing new life into the world. It wasn't something she ever wanted, but it's hers." She gave a shrug. "It just seems… unfair. But there's little use in crying about it."

Bra'tac could not keep from smiling. This little Tau'ri warrior had spirit. She would doubtless give her symbiote and the other Tok'ra quite the challenge. "If the Tau'ri will not let you stay, I am certain the Free Jaffa would make you welcomed."

"Would I have anything resembling freedom while under their protection?"

"Unlikely, but your desire to see your offspring bolster the Jaffa would be protected."

"Well, that's one part of the equation seen to." The door to the lab opened to allow General Hammond entry. Lieutenant Marks was on her feet in an instant, only to be given an 'as you were' by Hammond which was followed by a polite nod and a 'Master Bra'tac' in way of greeting.

"Lieutenant, is your dress uniform here on base?"

"No, Sir. It's at my house."

Hammond gave another nod. "I've updated the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They've asked that you and I fly out immediately for a face-to-face meeting. I'll have base security escort you home to change and then brought out to the airfield. We'll fly out immediately."

The lieutenant seemed surprised. "Yes, General."

"Should I go as well? Perhaps your leaders should hear from others who would be affected by these recent events."

Hammond shook his head. "I appreciate the sentiment, Bra'tac, but I'm afraid this will be seen as primarily an Earth matter." He looked over at his soldier, his eyes showing concern. "They need to address whether or not to allow Lineare to remain here, however they also have to deal with the fact that should they make her leave, they'll be excommunicating one of our own."

"Is that a possibility?" Bra'tac noted Lieutenant Marks' now guarded expression.

"I'm afraid so, however the fact that Teal'c is allowed to stay on Earth is a very strong point in our favor. That, coupled with the fact that Marks was born in Texas and is thus a citizen of the United States as well as of this planet will only make her argument to remain that much stronger." Hammond looked over to the woman. "You should get going now, Lieutenant. I'll meet you at the airstrip."

"Yes, Sir." She gave a snap of attention to Hammond, followed by a respectful farewell to Bra'tac before leaving the room.

"Lieutenant Marks is also of Texas? Is your provience best known for breeding strong warriors, General Hammond?"

The Tau'ri's face cracked into a smile. "We've been known to produce our fair share."

~***~

Malek was waiting in the gate room as the connection was established. He had calmed down somewhat, but every time Lineare's meeting replayed in his thoughts he felt the familiar stab of anger. He still could not believe that she would so readily jump into the idea of asking the Free Jaffa to carry the new Tok'ra. How could she trust them so blindly? She had blended with hosts who had suffered the same torments and sorrows as most other Tok'ra hosts. Surely she could not plan to turn away from history because she blended with one naïve, sheltered Tau'ri child!

**You and I both know it is very unlikely Veronica Marks is sheltered. Nor is she likely to be naïve.**

**_The Tau'ri as a whole are naïve and sheltered when compared to the rest of the galaxy. They lived without fear of the Goa'uld until they so stupidly stumbled upon them by accident._**

**I am not disputing that fact, but their lack of experience with the Goa'uld does not mean that they do not have their own pains and sorrows. Perhaps we have acted too hastily.**

_**And what would you have suggested?**_

**That we keep our temper and speak to Lineare and Veronica to learn the reasons behind their decision. Veronica may be young, but Lineare is not.**

He hated it when his host was the more logical one. It did not happen often, but it did happen. And it seemed to happen more frequently since his arrival among the Tau'ri. This entire series of events was weighing heavily upon him.

But he wasn't convinced that Jared was completely right. It was apparent that they needed to impress upon Lineare just how important she was to their people. For the first time in centuries there was a very real chance that they would not become extinct. She was a unique individual among them, and inarguably the most important.

Two figures came through the stargate and Malek determined that Jared was completely correct in saying that they should have spoken with Lineare and Veronica first. Garshaw he could understand, but why would the council think that sending Anise was a good idea? Few were unaware of the less-than-warm feelings between the pair. The scientist's presence would likely send Lineare further into herself.

"_Greetings, High Council Garshaw. Greetings, Anise. Thank you both for coming so quickly."_

Garshaw gave a regal incline of her head. _"We are pleased to see you again, Malek, especially in light of such good news."_ Garshaw peered curiously around the room. _"Lineare could not join you?"_

"_I have not spoken to her since the meeting with General Hammond and the others. She spends most of her time with the medical staff and the symbiotes."_

Garshaw's lips turned up into a smile. _"New Tok'ra. It is almost too good to be believed. This will rekindle the fire within our people. Hope has been slowly dying as our numbers receded."_

On that they could agree. _"The Tau'ri have provided quarters for you during your stay. I can show you to them if you like."_

Anise stepped forward. _"I would like to see the new symbiotes. Rest can wait."_

"_Of course."_ Malek turned and indicated for them to join him before leading them through the twisting corridors of the Tau'ri base. The uniformed soldiers gave them curious looks as they made their way towards the medical labs, but no one stopped them. The Tok'ra were expected, after all. Even the pair of guards standing outside of the lab where the symbiotes were housed gave them only a cursory glance. Malek was allowed to come and go from this room as needed.

And so, apparently, was Master Bra'tac. The aged Jaffa was standing before the glass tank where the young symbiotes were swimming, peering through the glass at them curiously. _"Master Bra'tac?"_

"I was curious to see if there was a visible difference between Tok'ra primtah and those of the Goa'uld."

Malek saw Anise out of the corner of his eye as she made to approach the tank. Reflex made him reach out to stop her. He did not wish to startle the Jaffa. _"May I present Tok'ra High Council, Garshaw?" _He waited until the Jaffa had turned and gave Garshaw a nod of greeting before moving on. _"And this is Anise, one of the Tok'ra's most respected scientists."_

Bra'tac looked less than comfortable, but his eyes moved back to Garshaw. "You are legend among the Jaffa. No other Tok'ra is as despised by the Goa'uld as Garshaw of Berote." His weathered face broke into an amused smile. "Clearly you are doing something very right."

He looked so delighted by the prospect of Garshaw causing the Goa'uld misery that the esteemed Tok'ra could not keep from returning his smile. _"I do try to take pride in my work."_ She took a few steps towards the glass tank, watching the larvae as they swam. _"It is like some sort of… miracle. I see Lineare was able to create a suitable environment for them."_

Malek shook his head slightly. _"The Tau'ri already knew what to do, through working with Teal'c and his symbiote."_ He stepped closer to the control panel that monitored the tank, Anise walking close to him. _"Doctor Janet Frazier keeps a close watch on their environment at all times. A slight electrical current is introduced to the waters to mimic the waters on the source world or the protective pouch of a Jaffa."_

Anise studied the panels closely. She knew better than to try and touch anything without first being schooled in the Tau'ri technology, but it did not stop her from being curious. _"How are they providing sustenance?"_

"_Small fish native to this planet. They appear to enjoy it."_ He saw Anise move and get closer to the tank. She stretched up onto her toes and started to reach inside, but was stopped by Bra'tac as the old warrior moved faster than his bones should still have been able to do so.

"You will not touch them."

Malek knew he should move to help Anise, but he could not make himself do so. **Perhaps because neither of us are entirely comfortable with the idea of Anise getting a physical look at the symbiotes.**

_**Anise would not hurt them. They are our brothers.**_

**True, but we both know that Lineare would not want her to touch them. **His host was right, of course. Their new queen would not want her children bothered without her presence. A fact that could be a useful way to diffuse the fight that was about to break out between his fellow Tok'ra and the very stubborn Jaffa. _"Perhaps we should wait until Lineare joins us. I am certain she cannot be long. She comes here often."_

Bra'tac did not let his eyes leave Anise. "She is not here. The leaders of the Tau'ri military wished to speak with her directly. She left with Hammond of Texas."

He had not been expecting that. Lineare had left the base without telling him? The shock must have shown on his face, but he banished it as quickly as possible before Garshaw or Anise could comment on it. _"Did they happen to say how long they would be gone?"_

"They did not say and I did not ask." Bra'tac did not break his stare from Anise. "At any rate, important leaders take as long as they desire to take. General Hammond and Lieutenant Marks will return when it is their time to do so."

That the Jaffa referred to the host rather than the symbiote did not miss his attention. _**How do they expect this truce to succeed?**_

**That is something we can ask of them when they return.** Anise took a purposeful step forward. The Jaffa took a protective stance.

"You will not touch them."

"_Stand aside, Jaffa."_

Bra'tac refused to budge from his stance between Anise and the tank. "I will not." He was determined. He did not even look over when the door to the medical lab opened to allow someone else entry.

"What is going on here?"

He would not have thought that he would be happy to hear Janet Frasier's voice, but the arrival of the base's chief medical officer was a welcomed one. _"We meant no intrusion, Dr. Frasier. High Council Garshaw and Anise wished to see the new symbiotes." _ His eyes flicked over to the still tense postures of the Tok'ra scientist and the Jaffa. _"There was a misunderstanding."_

"_I must examine the symbiotes."_

Frasier's eyes narrowed in Anise's direction. "I fail to see why. I've been monitoring their health closely and find them to be doing quite well and adjusting as normally as can be anticipated under these circumstances." She moved to towards the tank. Malek noticed that the symbiotes seemed to react to her approach though she did not look their way. All seven swam towards the corner nearest her, clustering about as though trying to reach her. The behavior struck him as odd, but no one else seemed to take notice of it.

His eyes moved to Bra'tac and he realized that he was wrong. The Jaffa noticed it.

Garshaw stepped forward. _"Anise did not mean to call your skills as a physician into question. She merely wishes to run some tests to ascertain as to whether or not they are… complete."_

"And I am afraid I cannot allow that. The symbiotes are as much my patients as are Lieutenant Marks and Lineare. And even if they weren't, I consider them to be minors and thus anything involving their care outside of emergent and life saving procedures must first be cleared with their parent. I'm afraid you will just have to wait until they and General Hammond return from Washington." Malek did not miss the slight twitch at the corner of Bra'tac's mouth as Frasier laid down the law.

"_No offense was intended, Dr. Frasier. Garshaw and Anise were merely eager to see the evidence that the Tok'ra are no longer doomed to die out as a race. We shall not trouble you any longer."_

Garshaw understood instantly and gave a respectful not to the physician before turning to move towards the door. A commanding "_Anise"_ finally broke off the battle of wills between the scientist and Bra'tac. The trio exited the lab started to move down the corridors.

"_Garshaw, surely there is someone who can order the doctor to let us view the symbiotes in the general's absence. Is not Colonel O'Neill his second-in-command?"_

Malek shook his head. _"It would do you no good, Anise. During my time here I have learned that the Tau'ri give a good deal of authority to their healers. Doctor Frasier is the one person on this base who can override the General's orders if she feels it is in the best interest of a patient or the health of the general population as a whole. And Colonel O'Neill still does not fully trust us. He will not intervene."_

High Council Garshaw mulled this over for a moment before speaking. _"There is a certain sensibility to extending such authority. There are many things the Tau'ri do differently from us, such as their insistence never to leave any of their people behind. Many may view it as a weakness, but the emotion attached to such practices seems to only further embolden them in their actions. They are a… perplexing society."_

Malek escorted them to the pair of rooms reserved for their arrival. The quarters were neat and comfortable, and as they were Tok'ra rather than Goa'uld the Spartan décor was of little consequence to them. He saw them settled in comfortably before allowing his thoughts to return to other questions; such as why Veronica had not informed him before leaving the base.

**I was not aware that she was required to do so.**

_**It is the principal of the thing.**_

**In what way? Are they our subordinate? Are they our mate? What claim do we have on them that they must keep us apprised of their comings and goings?**

Malek's jaw set firmly. He could not think of anything other than the fact that they were Tok'ra and their queen. He felt powerless to keep them safe and protected if they were going to leave him behind as they journeyed to distant city.

**And perhaps you are upset because you feel guilty over acting so rashly. You want to apologize for Anise's presence here before the pair of them meet.**

There was that, of course.

~***~

She washed her hands, the lukewarm water rinsing the soap off cleanly. Once done she dried them off using a couple of paper towels and then used the slightly damp cloth to blot some of the weariness from her eyes. The towels were balled up and tossed into the small metal lined whole in the marble countertop before she leaned forward, her palms on the cool stone. She let her head fall down and took a deep, calming breath. Then another. And then another before lifting her face and looked at her reflection in the gleaming mirror.

"Man up, Marine." Her self-admonisment was barely above a whisper as she studied her reflection. Skin slightly paler than usual, most of her tan having faded during her long stay underground. Her hair was in need of a trim because her confinement to base had kept her from seeing the stylist as she usually would have three weeks ago. The strawberry-blond locks were starting to curl, though they were still short enough that they hadn't yet taken on the chaotic tumbling as they were prone to do at longer lengths.

She pushed away from the marble counter and stood up straight, her hands tugging on the bottom of her jacket to pull it down as her eyes continued to scan her apparence. Ribbons were straight. Her brass was the correct distance from the tips of the collar. The jacket fit a bit loosely, she had lost maybe ten pounds and firmed up a bit more since last time she wore her dress uniform, though that was likely due to a combination of base food and having a symbiote to promote optimal health. Ronnie pulled out another papertowel and rubbed at the insignia on her left shoulder to remove a stray fingerprint until the silver metal gleamed brightly under the fluorescents.

_**You are nervous.**_

"With good reason. I'm about to talk into a room with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The admiral and generals that dictate military policies and actions for all the armed forces of the USA. You don't get any higher in rank than that."

_**What about the President?**_

"A civilian elected into office for a term of four years. He may be the leader of the nation, but most of them defer to the experts serving with them. The Joint Chiefs are the real concern." Ronnie knew politicians. Her father was a politician. She knew how their minds worked and how they acted. The President would likely go along with whatever his military leaders suggested. She needed to make her real impression on the guys with all the brass on their collars and the ribbons on their chests.

The door to the ladies' head opened and she fell silent immediately. A slender woman in a blue Air Force uniform and captain's bars on her shoulders entered. Ronnie gave her a respectful nod before turning away from the mirror and heading out.

_**You do not seem to believe there is much of a chance that they will deny us the right to stay on Earth.**_

**I don't. As I was telling Master Bra'tac, they let Teal'c stay here even though he's high on the Goa'uld hit list. And I'm a citizen, even if you're not. If a US Citizen marries a foreign national, they let the foreigner stay based on the marriage. **

_**You are equating our blending to a marriage?**_

**A marriage is supposed to be a union of two individual souls. Can you think of anything better qualified for that definition than us?**

_**There is that.**_

General Hammond was talking softly with Major Davis in one of the side rooms. Ronnie would have felt more comfortable had they been meeting at the Pentagon, but it had been determined that the President should be nearby in case he wanted to weigh in with his two cents. For whatever reason it was less likely to start a media frenzy if the Joint Chiefs came to the White House than it was for the President to go to the Pentagon. One could be brushed off as just a briefing. The other was almost always a sign of a potential military action.

"Sorry for the delay, Sir."

Hammond gave her an understanding look. "It's all right, Marine. We haven't been called in just yet." As if on cue a hidden door on the other side of the room opened and a squared away Lieutenant Commander stepped in to let them know that it was time.

The room through the hidden door was spacious with thick blue carpet and bland walls. A long table was surrounded by several chairs, the wood of both scarred from use but gleaming from a recent polish. It looked old. Probably another White House antique. Standing on the other side and murmuring to one another were the five most powerful men in the US Military along with the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman. There was so much brass and stripes in the room that Veronica's systems almost managed to breakthrough Lieneare's excellent control to feel nauseous. Instead she settled for snapping to attention, figuring protocol was her best protection.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Admiral Mullen waved her towards one of the chairs. "You're not in trouble and this is hardly a matter of military protocol."

She relaxed visibly, but her insides were still tense as she pulled out a chair and took a seat. She saw General Conway drop his copy of the file onto the table. "Hammond, what did you do to my Marine?"

General Hammond took the chair next to Ronnie as Major Davis claimed the one to his left. "Your Marine went above and beyond the call of duty to fulfill her mission. Under normal circumstances this would not have been the outcome."

"Hell, George, nothing your people do is 'normal'." Conway gave a sigh and turned his gaze to Ronnie. The Commandant of the Marine Corp looked as though he hadn't slept in several days. "How are you holding up, Marks?"

It was a question she was asked at least half a dozen times each day. She still wasn't certain she knew the right answer, but she tried. "I'm still sane, Sir. I think so, at any rate. This is all very… disturbing. For both of us."

"I don't doubt that." Conway looked towards the Chairman. Mullen gave a nod.

"Settle in, everybody. We've got a lot to talk about."


	5. Chapter 5

George Hammond was tired. It was only to be expected after having been shut up with the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a total of twenty-two and one half hours. Two eleven-hours-plus sessions two days in a row in a relatively cramped room with too much coffee and too little patience. But if he was tired, Lieutenant Marks should have been half dead from exhaustion.

His eyes flicked over to the silent Marine seated across from him in the armored car that was carrying them away from the White House. She hadn't said anything since the meeting was over, though he was certain that her mind was busy as she gazed out the window. Perhaps she and Lineare were in caught up in a silent conversation, or perhaps she was replaying the last hour of the meeting as he had been.

_We'll work it like a medical discharge, of course, and we'll make certain you keep the same benefits as any other decorated veteran or retiree._

George doubted that Marks realized anyone had seen her finger the silver bar on her collar after they had told her that she wouldn't be staying in the Marines. She'd waited until she thought no one was looking before she let her careful mask slip.

_The medical staff at the SGC will do your exit physical. No one else has the security clearance for it. It'll be arranged so that you won't have to go to a main base for processing. Everything will be handled at the SGC._

It had been expected, of course. Neither of them had really thought there'd be a chance she could keep her position. The Joint Chiefs and the President had decided that it wouldn't be proper. Foreign personnel served as members of the US military, but they considered Lineare to be something akin to a foreign sovereignty. That was another matter all together.

_As for your request to remain on Earth, we find your arguments and logic behind the reasons to be very convincing. If the alliance between us and our allies is as truly fragile as it appears, then perhaps we will have better luck keeping things stable if we hold as many of the cards as we can. It has been mentioned that Jacob Carter has acted as the Earth liaison to the Tok'ra since his… blending with Selmak. We see no reason why the Tok'ra cannot have a permanent representative here. Besides, you don't boot out one of your own for doing her job._

He'd stepped in there to discuss living arrangements. There was no need for Marks and Lineare to be required to live on base. Marks had a home in a relatively secure neighborhood, most of the residents of which were higher-ranking officers from the SGC and the Academy. It was more than a first lieutenant could usually afford but she'd bought it with family money from the trust fund left to her by her grandfather. Financially there was no reason for Marks to work. She was a Marine by choice. There would have to be some security measures taken, of course. Better security alarms. A secure line directly to the base. Panic buttons in every room in case someone got through their security or the NID reared its ugly head.

_Your obligation to the Marines for your education and training will be forgiven without prejudice. There will be no blemish on your record._

No blemish, other than a vague mention of a medical discharge due to injuries sustained in action. It would be tightly sealed, of course, but Marks would no longer be allowed to be on active duty.

_As for Lineare, she will be granted permanent residence, though that's redundant since the physical body is that of an American Citizen. She will also be granted full diplomatic status. Combined you will hold a modified ambassadorial position, though on paper it will read as administrative._

There were CIA spooks whose files would be easier to decipher and read than Marks'. They'd get to keep her with the SGC, but it wouldn't be the same.

Hammond studied her profile. She was staring out the window, seeing nothing. One hand had gone back to fingering the lieutenant's bar on her collar. She had been that way since they got back into the car.

He took a breath. "Considering that in a few days you'll no longer be under my command, I feel that it shouldn't be too improper for me to make a small confession."

She turned from the window, her hand leaving her collar to join the other in her lap. "What would that be, Sir?"

"When Major Reynolds first presented your file to me as a potential member of the SGC, I didn't want you." She blinked, looking surprised by the confession. "You scores, grades and record thus far had been more than adequate but your background information was included as well. Who you were. Where you came from. Who your family is. The little fact that within six months of joining the SGC your trust fund would kick in and you would be financially independent. I saw all of that and assumed that, Marine or not, you were likely to be a spoiled, South Texas debutante who would faint the first time she chipped a nail off world."

"I… never really did the Deb thing very well, Sir."

"I can believe that now, Marks. Still, I was going to reject your file until Reynolds pled your case. He had met all the potential Marine candidates personally and he said that there was a good deal more to you that met the eye. Said there was someone in you that wanted to be measured on her own merits, not on where she came from and who her family might be." He gave a slight nod that was more to himself than to her. "Now I have to say that I am glad I listened to him. You've been a fine addition to my command, no matter that recent events have changed your position there."

A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He could tell that his words had soothed the pain a little. She wasn't completely well, but she appreciated knowing. "Thank you, Sir. It's been an honor for me as well. I appreciate the chance to serve under you." She turned her head back to the window, this time seeing what was on the other side. "Sir, this isn't the way back to the airfield."

"I know. I thought why we were close by there was somewhere else you might like to stop." They were already there, in fact. He saw her lean forward as the rows of white stones came into view. "Colbert and Samson were sent back home to their families, but Mason and Rivers were brought here by their families' request." He saw the tears start to shine in her eyes. "I know you didn't get a chance to say your 'good byes'."

"Thank you, Sir." Her voice was a whisper as she composed herself. Her tears were banished and her uniform squared away by the time they stopped. Hammond had made certain to call ahead. One of the Marines assigned to Arlington was waiting to direct them to the right location. He allowed Marks to make her way through the headstones to the relatively fresh graves on her own as he remained by the car with Major Davis and the Marine Sergeant. They all watched as she lowered herself into a kneeling position between the two graves, heedless of the cold that had to be seeping through the thing stockings on her knees. It wasn't exactly officer behavior, but none of the three commented on it. It was never easy to lose someone you served with.

They let her stay as long as she liked. The Christmas Wreaths had been set out for the season, the green and red circles standing out boldly against the rows of white marble. Other people were walking through the rows, visiting fallen loved ones, so none of them questioned the presence of a man with a camera until he stopped a few feet away from Marks to take her picture as she had paused to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Davis."

"On it, Sir." Davis moved away from the car and walked through the rows at a brisk pace towards Marks. The man had started talking to her and she was starting to stand back up, her posture that of someone trying to get out of a conversation they didn't particularly want to be in. Hammond and the Sergeant watched on.

"If I may ask, General, how many of her team were lost?"

Hammond watched as Davis deftly stepped in and pulled Marks out. He was highly qualified for protocol and was great at maintaining security. A good officer. "All of them, but her. She was still recovering from her injuries when the funerals took place."

The Sergeant nodded, his expression understanding. "It's a hard thing, Sir." They waited until Marks and Davis were back at the car, the photographer now taking pictures of the headstones. The Sergeant snapped to attention, saluting Marks. "My condolences on your loss, Ma'am."

Marks returned the salute. "Thank you, Sergeant." She looked back over her shoulder at the graves. "Take good care of them."

"We always do, Ma'am."

Hammond, Davis and Marks got back into the car before George spoke. "Who was he?"

Davis offered a handkerchief to Marks as he answered. "Photojournalist taking pictures of the wreaths and gravestones for an expose on holiday activities at bases and national cemeteries. I didn't sense anything threatening. We'd confiscate the photo of Marks, but that would likely just poke his curiosity. I'll keep an eye on him just to be safe."

"You do that." Marks was blotting the cold water from her stockings. "Marks and I will go ahead and fly back to Cheyenne Mountain. Keep me apprised if anything turns up."

"Yes, General."

~***~

_**This is very good.**_

**I told you. You should have a little faith in me.**

_**I still think you would have been better off eating cholesterol by the spoonful rather than eat that 'cheeseburger'.**_

**That was a double bacon cheeseburger with extra-cheese, and it was awesome.**

_**I will be cleaning it from our arteries for weeks.**_

**But it was worth every bite.**

General Hammond had been kind enough to have their driver stop by _Mamma's Big Mouth Burgers_ before heading onto the base. The kitchen staff at the White House was very good, but she had been missing good, decent, bad-for-you food for over a month now. Every bite of her cheeseburger had been pure paradise and worth the complaining from Lineare over her dietary choices. She'd had a real Dr. Pepper (i.e., not diet or caffeine free) and had gotten a large peppermint milkshake on her way out. Lineare actually liked the milkshake.

She was pulling on the straw, trying to get more of the extra-thick, pepperminty goodness to come out, when the door to the elevator opened and she found herself looking at a rather irked-appearing Colonel O'Neill.

**I smell trouble.**

_**So it would seem.**_

"General, permission to shoot the Tok'ra." He glanced over at Marks before amending, "with the exception of our Tok'ra, of course."

_**I was not aware I was 'their' Tok'ra.**_

**Just his way of saying you're acceptable to him. Probably a perk of being blended with me. Acceptance by association.**

_**I am thrilled.**_

**Shaddup.**

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Malek and Garshaw are bearable enough, but I'm pretty certain that Frasier is about two seconds away from executing that Anise person."

Marks' eyes flashed. _"Anise is here?" _**Oh, this is bad. I've seen what she's like in your memories. They'd better keep the doc away from the side arms. **_"Where is she?"_

"Probably in the medical lab trying to pry information out of Frasier again. The doc won't let her near your little bundles of joy."

Lineare did not pause but started walking down the corridor to another elevator that would take her to the lower levels where the symbiotes were being kept. Only the patience gained from centuries of life kept her from showing any true outward signs of her ire.

**Should we stop by and pick up a side arm of our own? This is a military base. We've got plenty.**

_**I should not allow myself the temptation.**_

**They'll be fine. Doctor Frasier wouldn't let anyone near them without our permission.** Veronica was not dim by any means. She understood that, in spite of the odd set of circumstances that had led to her ability to produce life, Lineare still felt concern for the seven fragile entities they had created together.

_**I have gained a great deal of faith in Janet Frasier since my coming here. However I still do not fully trust Anise to respect the Tau'ri's jurisdiction in this.**_

**Do you honestly think she would hurt them?**

Lineare sighed as the lift came to a stop and the door opened. _**Not intentionally, no, but Anise has never quite learned where the lines have been drawn. She acts without thinking in her eagerness to advance our scientific endeavors.**_

She stepped out into the corridor and made her way towards the lab. Was it her imagination or did the guard outside the door actually look relieved to see her? She walked into the lab without hesitation and took a quick assessment. Anise was there, but so was Doctor Frasier. The Tau'ri female had placed herself between the Tok'ra scientist and the tank. The young symbiotes were crowded against the glass behind her and Lineare couldn't help but smile a bit. She had wanted them to feel somewhat safe if she was absent for a long period of time and had given suggestions that Janet Frasier was someone whom they could trust in all things.

Of course, the fact that the woman was also usually the one who fed them didn't hurt.

"_I hope that they behaved themselves while we were away."_ All eyes turned to her as she walked further into the room. She was still wearing Veronica's dress uniform and she knew that the overall affect was quite impressive. It was a pity that soon it would be packed away in a garment bag in the back of a closet.

Frasier's lips twitched slightly. "They were perfect little angels. Cleaned their plates at dinner time and never asked to stay up past bed-time."

Lineare caught the humor of it thanks to Veronica, but she was hardly in a mood to laugh. She could see the wheels behind Freya's eyes whirring as Anise was already developing theories and going over the possibilities. _"Lineare, I have been waiting for your return. There are several tests that must be run if we are to figure out how this has happened. There may be a way to dupl…"_

_"I see no reason to subject myself to more testing. Doctor Frasier and I went over every possible idea together once I realized something was wrong. You can go over her results."_

Anise blinked, clearly not having expected to be refused. _"There may be something the Tau'ri missed."_

"_I am quite certain that, between the two of us, we covered everything."_ She deftly stepped around the other Tok'ra to approach the tank. Her children left Janet and swam to her instead. She placed a hand against the glass, slightly warmed by the waters inside, and smiled. _"They should be ready to depart with Master Bra'tac in a few days. Any word if he has received a response from the Free Jaffa?"_

Frasier gave a slight shake of her head. "I haven't been told one way or the other."

"_You still mean to turn over the symbiotes to the Jaffa?"_ Anise's voice was disapproving.

"_I do." _She turned to face Anise. _"I believe that it is the best solution for all."_

_"Perhaps you are allowing yourself to be too strongly influenced by your host."_

**Would punching her teeth down her throat be a 'Bad Thing'?** _"This decision was made by both of us, and we will not waiver."_ The door opened again, allowing Garshaw and Malek to enter. Lineare gave the High Council member a respectful nod before flicking her eyes over to Malek. **Whoa… someone looks guilty.**

_**Yes, he does. How very odd.**__"High Council Garshaw, I am honored that you came in person."_

"_When we received Malek's report, there was quite the debate over who would come."_ The elder Tok'ra stepped forward, her expression betraying the joy and excitement she felt. Lineare felt a flutter of discomfort within the body she shared that should not have been possible under the circumstances. She had been expecting this, but she had not expected Garshaw to break the custom of honoring personal space to embrace her. _"This is a great day for all Tok'ra."_

**Oh, is she ever in for a rude awakening.**

_"Veronica and I are both aware of what this means to the Tok'ra as well as of the impact this change can have on the war. I only wish that it did not come with such a heavy price to us both."_

Garshaw stepped back, her brow furrowed. _"Will it truly be so hard for your host to leave her people?"_

She had wanted more time, of course. Lineare's eyes flicked over to Malek again. He was watching her closely, but she could see in his eyes that he had told Garshaw that she did not want to leave. The Tok'ra were either in denial or they thought that she would give in to the High Council member's wishes.

A pity for the Tok'ra that they often take on some of the characteristics of their hosts, and Veronica was nothing if not one very stubborn woman.

_"It will not be difficult for her because she will not be leaving. The Tau'ri have granted me permanent residence on Earth, and I have accepted their offer."_

~***~

_"You could order her to come with us."_ Malek shook his head as Anise addressed Garshaw. _"She would not refuse an order from the Council."_

Garshaw did not seem so certain. _"Lineare was never what one could call 'tractable' to begin with."_ She paused and looked his way. _"You have spent a great deal of time with her since your arrival, Malek. Would she obey an order from the Council?"_

_"She would not."_

Anise frowned. _"She cannot disobey the Council!"_

_"She can and she would."_ He shook his head again. _"And what is more, she now has the power to do just that without question. Lineare knows that we will not risk harming her by trying to force her to come and the Tau'ri will defend her right to remain here if that is her wish. They see Veronica, their citizen and fellow soldier. They will not force her to abandon her home and thus Lineare is extended the same protection."_

Garshaw considered his words and gave them their full weight. _"I agree with you, Malek. Lineare has made up her mind, and her actions up until now indicate that she is quite capable of weighing concerns other than those of the Tok'ra as a whole. Keeping her transformation a secret from us for as long as she did… she is not the operative she once was."_

Malek did not miss how Garshaw delicately avoided pointing out that he had help Lineare keep her secret. He did not think it wise to mention that, were he able to do so, he would turn back time and continue to keep her secret until such time as she was ready. _"No, she is not. That operative was our fellow Tok'ra, another symbiote fighting to the death. Lineare is now a queen. She has other matters that will demand her attention."_

_"Which she should be doing while under the care and guard of the Tok'ra."_ Anise approached Garshaw with determination. _"We have no choice. We must find a way to force her hand. She cannot remain here!"_

_"If we force her hand in this, we will lose her."_ He had not meant to say it, but as soon as the words left his mouth he knew they were true. Garshaw met his gaze with her own.

_"You do not doubt that?"_

_"I do not. Lineare and Veronica are well aware of the expectations and requirements that will be placed upon them. They are both trying to maintain whatever last vestiges of freedom they may possess. They would not come quietly."_

Anise tried to argue the contrary, but the look in Garshaw's eyes as she studied him told Malek that his side of the debate was holding greater weight with her. After letting the scientist carry on for a time, the esteemed Tok'ra held up a hand to call for silence.

_"For the time being it would appear that we should allow Lineare her wish to remain with the Tau'ri. They may be less advanced than other races, but they have proven themselves time and time again against forces far greater than their own. And it is clear that they would not bring her harm. Perhaps, in time, she will become more secure in herself and decide to rejoin the Tok'ra."_

Malek nodded in agreement. He did not like the idea any more than Garshaw, but they had to consider the best way to handle their new queen tactfully.

But Garshaw was not done._ "Of course, we cannot leave her unattended. Since Lineare seems inclined to give the Tau'ri and the Free Jaffa her full cooperation, there should be someone from the Tok'ra present to ensure that our interests are also considered."_

Anise's disgruntled expression changed. _"I could remain here to assist her. It would also give me the chance to further study then transformation to see if we might be able to one day duplicate it."_

**She has gone completely insane! **_"I must disagree with that idea, High Council."_ Both Garshaw and Anise faced him again. _"Forgive me, Anise, but Lineare has never been reluctant to let her opinion of your methods known. She was not comfortable with you before her transformation. In her current state she is _even less likely to be so. It would not be a good fit."

Garshaw tilted her head curiously. _"Whom would you recommend? Selmak, perhaps?"_

_"Of course not. Selmak is blended with a Tau'ri as well. Even if Jacob did not serve as the liaison between our people, Selmak's perceptions of the Tau'ri as well as the favoritism he has shown Lineare in the past could possibly cloud his judgment when dealing with her."_

_"Then who should be placed with the Tau'ri to remain with Lineare?"_

"We will stay." He had not even felt the shift in control as Jared took over. "We have spent a great deal of time among the Tau'ri all ready and much of that has been spent with Lineare. A rapport has already been established between us." **Though we nearly ruined that by summoning the Tok'ra too soon.**

_**Have you lost your mind? We have been too long from our command as it is!**_

Garshaw clearly must have been thinking the same thing. _"What of your position as base commander? There are other duties which require your attention."_

_"And there are other Tok'ra just as qualified to fill that position should we vacate it for this one. Besides, clever or not, the Tau'ri are less advanced than most of their enemies. Their defenses will need to be strengthened if they are to be entrusted with the safety of Lineare and Veronica. Who better to assist with that then Malek and myself? We know the enemy and their strengths, and we know how to build the weapons and defenses to fight them."_

Malek paused. He had to admit that the argument was a good one. And perhaps, with time, he could convince Lineare to return to the Tok'ra. **With a very long time. I get the impression that they are both set against it.**

_**But if there is to be any chance of convincing them, the person who remains with them must be chosen with care. **_Someone who _wasn't_ Anise, for starters. And no one who would try to browbeat them into returning. Stubborn people became only more stubborn the more you tried to convince them that they were wrong.

Malek noticed a speculative expression in Garshaw's eyes. _"Is there another reason why you wish to volunteer for this, Malek?"_

Jared handed over control smoothly. _"I am afraid I do not know what you mean."_

_"The Tau'ri physician said that the first group of symbiotes was created using frozen materials from genetic donors rather than with the help of a consort. Has Lineare discussed future broods with you?"_

The meaning came crashing over him and he wasn't certain how to answer. He knew that the Tau'ri did not share much with Garshaw. There were delicate matters that not even he had been made privy to as of yet. _"Only in that there must be future symbiotes, Garshaw. I do not believe that they have decided on how those broods will be created."_

_"Then you do not wish to stay because of anything other than a sense of duty."_

**I had not realized that Garshaw could play the part of the concerned parent. I feel as I did the first time I came to call on a young lady I fancied in my youth.**

_**I do not believe that is her intention.** "Lineare and Veronica must decide such matters between themselves before they can decide on how best to proceed. There are other matters. Private matters that they do not feel comfortable discussing with others save for a very select group."_

The other Tok'ra considered this, her brow furrowing slightly. _"I do not understand."_

_"Nor do I, not entirely. I only know that it is rooted within Veronica's past and her own concept of gender and sexuality. As I said, it is not something they are comfortable discussing, but the Tau'ri are working with them regarding the difficulties."_ He took a breath. _"Regardless, I stand by my request to transfer to Earth for as long as may be required."_

Anise looked less than happy, but Garshaw gave a slow nod. _"Very well, Malek. For the time being you will remain here. We will advise the base that you will not be returning to your position there so as to give aid to Lineare. Of course, this may not be permanent. The Council will have to weigh its decision based on our reports."_

He nodded. _"Of course. And I thank you for this opportunity."_ Of course, this would all hinge upon the Tau'ri agreeing to let him remain; though he had hopes that he could at least convince Lineare and Veronica of that much.


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Gregory Wiseman stared in unabashed shock at the man seated across from him. He could not have heard her right. "You want me to provide therapy for… an alien?"

The graying officer gave a slight shrug. "That's partially true. It's more like… two people wrapped in one. A two-for-one deal if you like. You'd be treating both the host and the symbiote."

Greg swallowed. When the military had approached him about providing treatment for one of the people at the high security base under Cheyenne Mountain he had been provided with a brief and partial rundown of the patient. The slim, redacted file had been enough to convince him. The woman described should have been referred to someone of his specialty the day she had learned of her biological conflicts. Family counseling and general psychiatry can only do so much. Her primary issues now would be intimacy and developing her own gender identity beyond just male and female.

But then he had been escorted here and asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they would tell him anything else. Now he was wondering if he had fallen into some strange science fiction movie.

"Colonel O'Neill… I'm afraid there has been some sort of misunderstanding. My specialty is Sex Therapy. I work with couples having intimacy issues, sexual addictions and people having difficulty with sexual situations from an entire host of reasons. I'm not qualified to work with… aliens."

"You're on the same footing as most of our medical staff." O'Neill waved a hand about in the air above one shoulder. "All of this is relatively new. We're making up the rulebook as we go along. Our medical staff comes across something new and strange at least once a week. It just so happens that this time we've stumped the aliens, too."

Wiseman blinked. "We have? I mean… you have?"

"Yeah, they didn't see this one coming, either. These… symbiotes, most of them really don't have a gender on their own. Lineare didn't, until he… it … blended with our Marine. Marks' body, all those imbalances and such, changed an 'it' into a 'she'." O'Neill took a breath. "So… in a way… this is up your alley."

"I… don't understand."

"Oh, right." O'Neill reached into the satchel by his feet and pulled out a thick file. "You'll need this. It's a copy of everything that's gone on since the pair of them mixed it up." The monstrosity had to be nearing three inches in thickness. It landed on the cold table with a solid 'thunk'. "We'll have to insist that stays on base, but we're giving you an office. Not a very big one, I'm afraid, but as you'll only have one patient here on base we didn't think you'd need very much room."

"I haven't said that I'd take her on."

"Yeah, there is that, isn't there." O'Neill drummed his hands on the table absently for a few moments. "I could use some coffee? How about you?"

"Pardon?"

"Let's go for a walk." The chair made a scraping sound as it moved across the floor. O'Neill took him by the elbow, a gentle move but one with authority behind it, and walked him to the door. "You know we made this based out of an old missile silo? Floors go down for ages, deep inside the mountain."

They walked through the corridors of the SGC. Greg looked around at the many people in uniform as they went about their business and couldn't help but wonder if any of them weren't quite as human as they appeared. O'Neill chatted away about something, and he had to concentrate a moment to realize that the man was talking about a hockey match played the previous evening. Hockey? Truly?

They continued through the twists and turns until they came to an area that seemed to be populated mainly by people in white lab coats. A stethoscope about the neck of one indicated medical personnel. Of course, they probably needed a full staff on hand. There was no telling what these men and women had to face each and every day.

Around another corner, however, he met a different sight. A group of people, perhaps twelve or thirteen in all, wearing far different clothing. Some were in robes, others in what appeared to be armor. Three were adolescents, one girl and two boys. All had strange tattoos on their foreheads, though the eldest of them had his in gold. Though they appeared to be human, there was definitely a feeling of 'otherness' about them.

Another man, standing apart from the others and dressed in more 'normal' fashion, spotted the Colonel and Greg. He expression was somewhat sour as he gave a brief glance back to the… aliens before moving over to speak to O'Neill. _"The implantations were a success."_

"Good to hear it. Those kids were looking pretty bad." O'Neill looked into the group again. "How's Mom doing?"

The man's face twisted in something akin to a scowl, but Greg was having trouble getting past the strange sound of his voice. It sounded as though it were a normal voice with a deeper, resonating second voice playing through a high-quality subwoofer blended and smoothed over it. "_Lineare seems pleased."_ He emphasized the name, as if scolding.

A new figure came through the open door near the group of… aliens, he guessed. An attractive woman in what was obviously an expensive pantsuit. Strawberry blond hair framed her face with soft curls that were likely natural. He couldn't be certain from this distance, but he thought her eyes were some shade of blue. She was tall, possibly as much as six feet, which would put her two inches taller than Wiseman, and in good physical condition.

The aliens (he was really having trouble wrapping his mind around that word as an actual fact) noted her emergence into the corridor and responded with varying degrees of politeness. Some seemed cold, as if not fully trusting her, but others seemed almost… hopeful? The older man with the gold mark on his forehead approached her, his smile clearly genuine. They conversed, but they were far enough away that Greg couldn't make out their words.

The man with the odd voice watched them, his expression sour. O'Neill seemed pleased by the interaction occurring several feet away from them. "Cheer up, Malek. Just think of how this will strengthen the alliance as a whole." 'Malek' gave him a glare and said nothing.

Dr. Wiseman put it all together. "That's her." It wasn't a question. O'Neill nodded.

"That's our… Miss Marks." The colonel paused over her name. It felt as though he was still trying to adjust to the loss of her commission. It spoke well of the man.

The mention of her name drew the woman's attention towards them. She ended her conversation with the older man with a respectful nod of her head and moved over towards them. The doctor was not a tall man, a couple of inches shy of six feet and average. As she drew closer he noticed that the eyes were actually blue-green and he also noted that his estimate of her height had been spot on.

O'Neill smiled. "Ronnie! I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Gregory Wiseman. Greg, this is Veronica Marks."

Greg accepted the offered hand and noted the strength in Marks' long fingers. "Thank you for coming, Dr. Wiseman. Your reputation precedes you." Her eyes flicked to the colonel. "He's been briefed?"

"Completely. I was taking him to get some coffee when we got side tracked. Care to take it from here?" The man known as Malek took a step towards them, but O'Neill stopped him with one hand. "Easy, Big Fella. This is private."

Malek bristled. _"I know nothing of this man. He might be a threat."_

Greg blinked at that, but Marks' voice shifted into the same strange modulation. Her… symbiote? The other entity inside her head? "_Malek, Veronica and I wish to speak with Dr. Wiseman alone, and away from prying ears. We are trusting you to see to the needs of the Jaffa. Doubtless they are eager to conclude their business here and return to their people."_

Malek's jaw tightened, but he gave a respectful nod._ "Of course, My Queen."_ With his eyes downcast he missed the slight flinch in Veronica/Lineare's shoulders at the title. That flinch was a point of interest to Greg. He filed it away inside a mental cabinet already labeled 'Marks', though he supposed it should read 'Marks-Lineare'. Did the symbiote have a last name? His briefing hadn't covered that part.

Marks indicated with one hand that they should walk down one of the corridors. When she spoke, her voice was back to normal. "Getting a headache, yet?"

Wiseman answered with a chuckle. "It is… a bit much. I mean, aliens." He shook his head. "I'm going to guess Hollywood has it wrong."

"You wouldn't believe by how much. Though, there was Wormhole X-treme. That one was pulled from the subconscious memories of an alien living here on Earth."

"I never could get into that one. It was… cheesy."

A rather girlish giggle was cut off with a barely perceptible snort. "I understand that Teal'c was somewhat put out that the character representing him was a robot." She gave a shrug. "Not that you can really tell when he's only put out. He's a somewhat stoic individual."

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him just yet."

"If you hang around here, you're likely to bump into him. He's hard to miss."

They walked a bit further in silence until they came to a small break room with three large carafes containing coffee. Two had originally been labeled 'Columbian' and the third had once bore the term 'Decaff'. Someone, however, had crossed out the titles with a black sharpie and replaced them with 'High Octane' and 'Pointless'. They each got a cup of coffee and Greg noticed that Marks scowled a bit and muttered something that sounded close to 'stuff it' under her breath.

"Problem?"

She sighed. "We're still hashing out certain details, and some of those details involve food and drink."

He pondered this for a moment. "The symbiote doesn't like coffee?"

"She doesn't like caffeine, and she frowns on my love of cheeseburgers and pizza, but will tolerate them as long as it's not a daily thing." One elegant shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "However, I agreed to give up alcohol, so the caffeine stays."

"Is caffeine harmful to her?"

"No. She just thinks that I lean on coffee in lieu of actual sleep too much, which is probably true but less so now than when I was… well… before."

Greg nodded. "When you were an active marine who might be sent out on a mission at any given moment."

"Yeah, that." She added cream and a lot of sugar to hers, and from the smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth he figured it was out of spite. "Now I'm a civilian-slash-foreign dignitary. New job comes with regular hours and everything."

"Including mounds of paperwork and playing nice with people you can't stand?"

"Well, no job is perfect." They went over to one of the small tables, taking advantage of the emptiness of the room for some privacy. Veronica sat down so that she could see the door, standard behavior for someone used to high-risk situations. Psychiatrists didn't have to be so cautious and Greg sat directly across from her.

"I'll be honest with you, I haven't said I'll take the job just yet. I agreed to come in for the briefing based on what little they were willing to tell me before hand."

She nodded. "How much was that?"

"Your medical condition. The age at which you learned of your circumstances. They did mention some difficulties with your family arising from the diagnosis although they didn't give me details. Of course, it's only to be expected that someone in your situation to have intimacy issues. And that's before involving the… alien." He took a swallow of coffee. It could've walked under its own power. The kind of coffee that soldiers, cops and med school students made. "I could use a bit more information of what happened when you were diagnosed."

Her eyes flicked to the door, most likely ensuring that they were still alone. He saw her take a deep breath, her eyes moving back down to look at her coffee. "Did they tell you who my family is?"

"No, and they only gave me your first name. I had the non-disclosure forms before they would give me anything more."

She frowned. "And you still came? Just on that?"

He shrugged. "It's my job to help people, and what little they gave me was still enough to let me know that you are someone with a great many personal concerns to work through."

"But you're not sure that you want the job now that you've learned more."

"I don't think I'm qualified to counsel aliens, and in this case… the symbiote, Lineare, would be my patient just as much as you. You're sharing the same body and recent events have got to be just as confusing to her."

A smile tugged at Veronica's lips and she gave a brief nod. "Well, if we're going to be looking for someone with experience in aliens, it'll be a long wait."

Greg laughed, a sort of nervous chuckle, and nodded. "Yeah, it would be." He took another sip of coffee. "But I'm here right now. What are you willing to share with me?"

She took another breath, her eyes flicking to the door quickly again to make certain no one was coming in before speaking. "My father is Senator Marks of Texas. He just got voted into office during the midterms."

That surprised him. The Marks were an old family with a good deal of money behind them. Daughters of privilege rarely went military. They didn't have time. "I'm guessing things aren't entirely comfortable between you."

"Not any more. He… they… didn't take the diagnosis very well." Greg nodded and let her go on at whatever pace was comfortable for her. "Mom always wanted a princess. The perfect debutante with the million-dollar smile and Prada shoes. I was forced to do all the things the daughters of her country club set did. Ballet. French. Competitive equestrian vaulting. All of it, and I hated every second of it."

She sighed. "Dad, on the other hand, just wanted me to be his little girl. Mom couldn't have any more children after me. There'd been four miscarriages before me and having me almost killed her. He was just grateful to have me, and he spent as much time with me as he could." A sad smile touched her eyes. "My favorite was the fishing. He'd take me down to the gulf and we'd spend days on the water. I'd come back sunburned and blistered and Mom would hit the roof because there was some stupid garden party or some such and I wouldn't be 'perfect'. And we'd play chess and checkers and he'd explain politics and the economy to me. Mom and I never quite fit well with one another, but Dad and I were inseparable.

"Then came the summer before my junior year in school. Mom insisted that I participate in the girls' lacrosse team and I had to have a physical. When they asked me about my menses and I had to tell them that I'd never had one, the doctors were concerned. They ran a whole battery of tests and… found that my chromosomes didn't match my physical appearance."

Greg nodded. "How did that make you feel?"

"I was in denial at first. I mean, I was a girl. I knew I was a girl. I had boobs and hips and everything, so how could I not be a girl? I even had a boyfriend. I didn't want him and I was tired of telling him to keep his hands to himself, but I had him."

"Why did you have a boyfriend if you didn't want him?"

She rolled her eyes. "His mother was my mother's best friend, and he was from the 'right family'. I'm pretty sure our mothers had visions of a grand society wedding and a merging of two family fortunes."

"And your parents?"

"Yelled at the doctors and threatened to sue for malpractice. They took me to multiple specialists wanting someone to debunk the first diagnosis, but… everything supported it. Right down to the undecended and underdeveloped testicles that had to be removed as a preventative measure." She gave a shrug. "Apparently undecended testicles are more prone to developing cancer."

She stirred her coffee, watching the caramel colored liquid swirl. "Mom… did her thing. She refused to come out of denial. She likes to think that if she ignores reality then it will just go away and the world will conform to her desires."

"And you father?"

"Stopped taking me fishing." The words were very soft. "Stopped… playing chess with me. Stopped talking politics with me. Just… stopped everything. Like I'd become invisible." He heard her sniff. "I think that hurt more than anything else. I… my life was crashing down around my ears and the person I counted on to be there for me… couldn't even step up to the fucking plate." She sat back in her chair, the fingers of one hand rising up to wipe at her eyes. He snagged a couple of napkins from a nearby dispenser and offered them to her. She took them and blotted the tears away.

"What happened after that?"

"Close to the end of the school year one of the people in Dad's office had an accident. He and his wife were driving home from a fundraising dinner when a drunk driver crossed the centerline. Both died. They had a pair of twins, a boy and girl, and no other living relatives to take them in. The state couldn't find a foster family who could take them both, and at the time my father was pulling so much local attention that the story made the papers. My parents took them in. Brought them into our home. And… six months later they were in front of a judge to finalize the adoption. Mom started sending her to ballet, French lessons and horseback riding lessons and Dad… started teaching him out to play chess, and talking about politics… and taking him fishing."

She licked her lips, her fingers worrying the napkins. "It was never said out loud, but I was never stupid. They didn't have to tell me I'd been replaced. It was obvious. A princess for Mom and a prince for Dad."

Greg watched her and reminded himself to remain objective. It was damn hard to do. "That must have put a strain on the family dynamics."

"It wasn't the kids' fault. I don't think anyone in the house even told them what the problem was. And I think I was nice to them when they were around me, not that they were allowed to spend a lot of time with me. I'm a lot older than they are. We didn't really do the same things. Didn't hang around the same crowds. And… I really wasn't invited to go to the garden parties and the like very often after that."

"What about since you moved out on your own?"

She shrugged. "I tried going home for the holidays a couple of times. It didn't go very well. They just… they acted like I wasn't even there unless they were forced to acknowledge me. They didn't really show any interest in me until Dad started getting into higher politics, and that was most likely out of fear. I mean, if his enemies caught wind of me and what happened inside our home, they'd crucify him."

"Did you ever think of leaking it yourself?"

She shook her head. "No. They were bastards, but they're still my parents. And the twins don't deserve to have their lives disrupted that way. They're good kids."

Greg leaned back in his chair, watching her. "What happened with the boyfriend?"

"Got rid of him. After I put out for him." She shook her head again. "I didn't even really want to, but I… I'd spent my whole life thinking I was a girl and now I was being told that I'm not. Not really, at any rate. I guess I was just trying to prove something to myself." She swallowed. "It hurt, and I hated myself afterwards. I felt dirty, and I thought I'd never get clean. After that I just… stopped returning his calls. Stopped talking to anyone all together."

"Was there anyone after him?"

"A few. All of them in college. No one more than once, and every time I had to get pretty liquored up to do it."

"Why is that?"

"Because I couldn't… talk to them. I couldn't be real with any of them, or get to know them. I…" She broke off, her voice thick with tears again. Greg didn't push. He waited. Her shoulders rose and fell with a shuddering breath, and when she spoke again, her voice had changed.

_"She considers it to be a lie."_ The face came up, and the expression was smoother. _"She does not feel that she can tell them the truth of her sense of being, but that failure to do so is tantamount to a lie. She believes that most men on your world would not be able to accept her because of her accident of genetics."_

Greg nodded. "I figured that it was something along those lines." He finished off his coffee, letting the silence fill the room for a moment. "I'll need to look at my patient listing. Some of my standing appointments will need to be moved around to allow time for me to travel to and from base. And I'd like a little time to review the files. I can't take them off base, so I'll have to go over them while I'm here." He got up from the seat, tossing the paper cup into a nearby trash bin. "I'll be in touch with you later to discuss scheduling."

Veronica/Lineare nodded. _"Thank you, Dr. Wiseman. We are grateful for your time."_ They rose from their chair and shook his hand. _"Both of us."_


End file.
